Difference Between Adiabatic and Isoperibol Calorimeter

The key difference between adiabatic and isoperibol calorimeter is that adiabatic calorimeter can be used for measurements regarding runaway reactions, whereas isoperibol calorimeter can be used for measurements regarding routine and occasional calorific tests.

Both adiabatic and isoperibol calorimeters are types of calorimeters that are important in determining the heat of chemical reactions or physical changes and heat capacities. Some other important calorimeter types include differential scanning calorimeter, isothermal micro calorimeters, titration calorimeters, accelerated rate calorimeters, etc.

CONTENTS

1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Adiabatic Calorimeter
3. What is Isoperibol Calorimeter
4. Side by Side Comparison – Adiabatic vs Isoperibol Calorimeter in Tabular Form
5. Summary

What is Adiabatic Calorimeter?

Adiabatic calorimeter is a scientific device which can be used for the measurements of runaway reactions. Therefore, this calorimeter helps us to examine runaway reactions. A runaway reaction occurs when the reaction produces heat faster than the heat loss from the calorimeter. This type of calorimeters functions in the presence of an adiabatic environment. Here, any heat the sample material generates during the test causes the increment of the temperature. Therefore, it fuels the reaction.

Figure 01: Calorimeter

However, some heat is always lost to the container of the calorimeter. Therefore, when calculating the values, we have to add a correction factor to the measurement obtained from the test. This correction factor compensates the heat loss that is lost form the obtained value.

An adiabatic calorimeter is designed in such a way that the temperature in the outer part is controlled to follow the temperature of the inner part throughout the test. Therefore, when using this type of calorimeter, the room needs to be air-conditioned to avoid any errors.

What is Isoperibol Calorimeter?

An isoperibol calorimeter is a scientific device which can be used for measurements regarding routine and occasional calorific tests. This calorimeter is a much-developed device, and it provides us with reliability, good repeatability and high accuracy. All the sensors and controls in this device are built into a single, compact structure, which allows us to have a self-contained operating unit.

However, this device has a major drawback – its time of operation is comparatively high because the calorimeter has to be filled manually after each repeating test, which requires considerable time.

What is the Difference Between Adiabatic and Isoperibol Calorimeter?

Adiabatic calorimeter and isoperibol calorimeter are two types of calorimeters that can be used for calorimetry in determining the heat changes of chemical reactions or physical changes. The key difference between adiabatic and isoperibol calorimeter is that adiabatic calorimeter can be used for measurements regarding runaway reactions, whereas isoperibol calorimeter can be used for measurements regarding routine and occasional calorific tests.

Furthermore, adiabatic calorimeter uses an adiabatic environment in which the temperature can change with time, but the surrounding temperature of isoperibol calorimeters have to be controlled as it is operated under a constant temperature.

Below is a tabulation of the difference between adiabatic and isoperibol calorimeter.

Summary – Adiabatic vs Isoperibol Calorimeter

Adiabatic calorimeter and isoperibol calorimeter are two types of calorimeter that can be used for calorimetry in determining the heat changes of chemical reactions or physical changes. The key difference between adiabatic and isoperibol calorimeter is that adiabatic calorimeter can be used for measurements regarding runaway reactions, whereas isoperibol calorimeter can be used for measurements regarding routine and occasional calorific tests.

Reference:

1. “6200 Isoperibol Calorimeter.” Parr Instrument Company, Available here.
2. “Isothermal vs Isoperibol – Bomb Calorimetry Methods.” DDS Calorimeters, 31 Mar. 2017, Available here.
3. “What Is Adiabatic Calorimetry?: Socratic.” org, 16 July 2015, Available here.
4. “6400 Automatic Isoperibol Calorimeter.” Parr Instrument Company, Available here.

Image Courtesy:

1. “Bomb Calorimeter” By Akshat Goel – Own work (CC BY-SA 3.0) via Commons Wikimedia

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