Specific heat analysis

What is specific heat?

Specific heat, also called specific heat capacity, is a fundamental thermal property of a material. It corresponds to the amount of energy required to raise the temperature of one gram of that material by one degree Celsius. Expressed in J/g·K, it reflects a material's ability to store or transmit heat, and is a key parameter in applied thermodynamics.

The measurement of specific heat is essential in many industrial fields: formulation of insulating materials, thermal design of products, stability studies, or even thermal simulation of industrial processes.

Why analyze specific heat?

Specific heat analysis allows:

• Design materials with controlled thermal performance (insulation, technical plastics, composites)
• Optimize thermal transformation parameters (heating, drying, cooking, etc.)
• Control the thermal stability of a product or formulation
• Evaluate the thermal inertia of materials in a given system
• Compare different batches or formulations in terms of calorific value

This parameter is often used in conjunction with other thermal properties such as thermal conductivity, thermal diffusivity or transition enthalpy.

Analysis methods: DSC and calorimetry

The measurement of specific heat is generally carried out by two main techniques:

• DSC (Differential Scanning Calorimetry): Differential scanning calorimetry measures heat capacity as a function of temperature. It is fast, accurate, and suitable for small sample quantities.
• Classical calorimetry: reference method for bulk materials, using an insulated enclosure to measure the quantity of heat absorbed or released during a controlled energy input.

These analyses are conducted under a controlled atmosphere (air, nitrogen, helium) according to recognized standards, such as ISO 11357, ASTM E1269 or DIN 51007, in order to ensure the reproducibility and comparability of the results.

Affected matrices

Specific heat analysis applies to a wide variety of materials, whether solid, liquid or pasty:

• Thermoplastic and thermosetting polymers
• Composites and insulating foams
• Metals, alloys, technical ceramics
• Food products (butters, flours, purees, etc.)
• Cosmetics, emulsions, gels
• Industrial and pharmaceutical powders

Industrial applications

Knowledge of specific heat is essential in the following sectors:

• Food industry: optimization of cooking, freezing or pasteurization cycles
• Materials and construction: characterization of thermal envelope materials, thermal simulation
• Plastics processing: adjustment of molding, extrusion or injection parameters
• Energy and thermal storage: study of phase change materials or regulation systems
• Pharmaceutical: tablet formulation and thermal stability of active ingredients

YesWeLab: a network of laboratories specializing in thermal analysis

At YesWeLab , we provide you with a network of partner laboratories specialized in thermal characterization, rigorously selected for their expertise and accreditations (ISO 17025, COFRAC, etc.). Depending on your needs, we select the methods adapted to your matrices and your technical or regulatory constraints.

Our teams support you throughout the process, from defining the protocol to interpreting the results, with the ability to provide complete technical reports for your R&D, quality or regulatory files.

Thanks to our digital platform, you can centralize your analysis requests, track your samples in real time, and view your results easily, wherever you are.

Need to measure the specific heat of your products?

YesWeLab assists you in analyzing the specific heat of your materials, ingredients, or formulations.
Contact our team for a personalized quote or to submit your thermal characterization needs.