Dynamic heat capacity and relaxation time of ultraviscous melt and glassy acetaminophen

The real and imaginary components, C'(p) and C''(p), of the complex heat capacity, C*(p)=C'(p)-iC"(p) of supercooled, ultraviscous melt of acetaminophen have been measured at different temperatures during cooling through its vitrification range and during heating through its glass-softening range by using a modulation frequency of 3.3 mHz. From these data, the distribution of relaxation time parameter, beta, and a characteristic (calorimetric or configurational) relaxation time, tau(cal), have been determined. A constant value of 0.65 for beta fits the data, and tau(cal) varies with the temperature according to the Vogel-Fulcher-Tammann equation, tau(cal) = 10(-12.95) exp[1813/(T - 240.5)]. This relation differs significantly from the one deduced by others in which the configurational entropy theory was used to deduce tau(cal). The C'(p) and C''(p) values measured during the cooling of its ultraviscous melt and during the heating of its glassy state show a small hysteresis only at low temperatures. These investigations also provide a comparison of calorimetric and dielectric relaxation times in ultraviscous acetaminophen and highlight the role of faster modes of relaxation at low temperatures in organic, molecular glasses that can help in a better understanding of the crystal nucleation process in glasses at T below their T(g).