Compensating isothermal calorimeter to investigate the vulcanization of factice

Abstract Sulphur factice is produced from a mixture of a vegetable oil and sulphur for linkage. To start vulcanization, the mixture is heated to temperatures betueen 130 and 150 °C. Within hours or days the temperature increases to about 160 °C and the product solidifies. To investigate the production process and to optimize the reaction, the temperature development was simulated in laboratory-scale experiments and the heat released was measured. In order to investigate the reaction kinetics of the entire vulcanization process, the calorimeter must a11ow the measurement of the mixture in liquid and solid state. The developed compensating calorimeter consists of a hot plate equipped with thin aluminium rods descending into a Deuar vessel with a sulphur container and temperature sensor. A stirrer uas used as long as the mixture uas liquid.