Since commonly used thermal analysis tools, such as calorimeter and thermal conductivity meter, are separated instruments and limited by low throughput in which only one sample is examined each time, this article reports on an infrared-based optical calorimetry with its theoretical foundation, which can provide an integrated solution to characterize thermal properties of materials with high throughput.
By taking time domain temperature information of spatially distributed samples, this method enables a single device (infrared camera) to determine the thermal properties of both phase change systems (melting temperature and latent heat of fusion) and non-phase change systems (thermal conductivity and heat capacity). This method further enables these thermal properties of multiple samples to be determined rapidly, remotely, and simultaneously. In this proof-of-concept experiment, the thermal properties of a panel of 16 samples, including melting temperatures, latent heats of fusion, heat capacities, and thermal conductivities, were determined in 2 minutes with high accuracy. Given the high thermal, spatial, and temporal resolutions of the advanced infrared camera, this method has the potential to revolutionize the thermal characterization of materials by providing an integrated solution with high throughput, high sensitivity, and short analysis time. 34 references (publisher abstract modified)