Dynamic thermal expansivity of liquids near the glass transition

Based on previous works on polymers by Bauer et al. [Phys, Rev. B (2000)], this paper describes a capacitative method for measuring the dynamical expansion coefficient of a viscous liquid. Data are presented for the glass-forming liquid tetramethyl tetraphenyl trisiloxane (DC704) in the ultraviscous regime. Compared to the method of Bauer et al. the dynamical range has been extended by making time-domain experiments and by making very small and fast temperature steps. The modelling of the experiment presented in this paper includes the situation where the capacitor is not full because the liquid contracts when cooling from room temperature down to around the glass-transition temperature, which is relevant when measuring on a molecular liquid rather than polymer

Thermalization calorimetry: A simple method for investigating glass transition and crystallization of supercooled liquids

We present a simple method for fast and cheap thermal analysis on supercooled glass-forming liquids. This "Thermalization Calorimetry" technique is based on monitoring the temperature and its rate of change during heating or cooling of a sample for which the thermal power input comes from heat conduction through an insulating material, i.e., is proportional to the temperature difference between sample and surroundings. The monitored signal reflects the sample's specific heat and is sensitive to exo- and endothermic processes. The technique is useful for studying supercooled liquids and their crystallization, e.g., for locating the glass transition and melting point(s), as well as for investigating the stability against crystallization and estimating the relative change in specific heat between the solid and liquid phases at the glass transition.Comment: 17 pages, 9 figures, minor change