Determination of the temperature and enthalpy of the solid–solid phase transition of caesium nitrate by differential scanning calorimetry

The equilibrium temperature of the solid–solid phase transition of high purity caesium nitrate has been measured accurately by stepwise heating and by the extrapolation to zero heating rate method. A mean value of 154.3±0.1°C was obtained using two different heat flux DSC instruments. A value of 3.44±0.04kJmol−1 was determined for the enthalpy of transition.