Abstract
A calorimeter assembly was made in order to investigate the thermodynamic properties of high polymers in bulk. This calorimeter was designed based on adiabatic, continuous heating method.
Firstly, measurements were carried out for KBr, Al2O3 and NaCl in order to determine the reproducibility and the accuracy of the apparatus. The specific heat of polyethylene was measured with an annealed sample in a temperature range from 30 to 150°C. The experimental values obtained within error of ±1_??_4 per cent. The heat of fusion estimated for polyethylene of 100% crystallinity was 68.5±4.4 cal/g, which agrees with the data reported by B. Wunderlich and M. Dole within a range of experimental error.
