Special Review EMANATION THERMAL ANALYSIS: THE PRESENT STATE AND PERSPECTIVES

The principles of emanation thermal analysis, a method by means of which informa-tion about solid state and its changes are given. The method is based on measuring the release of radioactive inert gases at various temperatures from solids previously labelled. The techniques used for labelling the samples are reviewed and the apparatus is de-scribed. Examples of recent application of emanation thermal analysis in solid state chem-istry, materials cience and technology, corrosion studies, heterogeneous catalysis as well as in analytical chemistry are given. The perspectives of the method are outlined. Emanation thermal analysis [1] is the method by means of which information about the solid state and its changes is obtained on the basis of inert gas release from solids, measured at various temperatures. This definition has been approved [2] by the International Confederation for Thermal Analysis. Inert gas atoms are used as trace indicators of the solid state and its changes. The inert gases do not react with the solid, in which they were incorporated in trace amounts before the measurement. The inert gas release measured is con-trolled by physico-chemical processes in the solid studied. Structural changes