As its name implies the RSD, has been designed to be able to rapidly get data on exothermic materials. This is just one application, but a central one.

The RSD can operate isothermally or at heating rates to 10ºC/min—and so for screening tests a rate near 5ºC/min may be appropriate. It is designed to look at materials that may be of low or high energy release and for simple screening of unknown materials metal holders such as tubebombs or ARC-bombs are perhaps best used. The RSD can be operated with up to 6 samples simultaneously—or 5 and a reference and so screening could be done with a material with various impurities etc.

20% DTBP is a sample used extensively as a standard with the Accelerating Rate Calorimeter and other safety calorimeters—and so this sample run in the RSD shows not only the use of the RSD with a ‘normal’ sample but gives data that can be compared to other instruments.