HSC Chemistry 

Outotec's chemical reaction and equilibrium software HSC Chemistry is the world's favorite thermochemical software with a versatile flowsheet simulation module. HSC is designed for various kinds of chemical reactions and equilibria calculations as well as process simulation.

The name of the program is based on the feature that calculation modules automatically utilize the same extensive thermochemical database, which contains enthalpy (H) , entropy (S) and heat capacity (C) data, for more than 25 000 chemical compounds. This database is equivalent to more than twenty thick data books.

Calculation modules

HSC Chemistry 9 contains 24 calculation modules which are connected to the 12 databases as appropriate. Most calculation modules operate like independent programs which may have data links with each other. All the calculation modules have their own user interface and manual. Quite often HSC users use only a few (1 - 2) of the calculation modules. In this case they do not need to read all the manuals but only the relevant ones.

Databases

The databases are extremely important parts of the HSC software. They make it possible to carry out many types of thermochemical, heat transfer and simulation calculations easily. HSC 9 contains 12 databases. The largest and most important one is the H, S and Cp database which contains more than 28 000 species. However, the other databases may also contain vital information depending on the purpose.

Benefits

HSC software makes conventional thermodynamic calculations fast and easy to carry out with personal computers. Therefore HSC has a wide range of applications in scientific education, industry and research. Thermochemical calculations are useful, for example, when developing new chemical processes and improving old ones. HSC Chemistry is also a useful tool for universities and schools in chemical practicals and studies.

Traditionally, thermodynamic calculations based on experimental or assessed data have utilized stability functions in various thermodynamic data books and papers in scientific journals. The difficult searching stage and complicated calculations, as well as inconsistencies arising from different selections of standard and reference states, made this calculation procedure quite time-consuming.

HSC Chemistry offers powerful calculation methods for studying the effects of different variables on the chemical system at equilibrium. For example, if the user gives the raw materials, amounts and other conditions of almost any chemical process, the program will give the amounts of the product as a result. HSC also makes heat and material balance calculations of different processes much more easily than any manual method. The Eh-pH -diagrams option also offers a very fast way of studying the dissolution and corrosion behavior of different materials.

Of course, HSC cannot solve all chemical problems, because it does not take into account the kinetics (rates) of chemical reactions and the non-ideality of solutions. However, in many cases it is a very inexpensive and useful tool which helps to find the optimal reaction conditions and yields for experimental investigations without expensive trial-and-error chemistry.

About the software

The name of the program is based on the feature that calculation modules automatically utilize the same extensive thermochemical database, which contains enthalpy (H) , entropy (S) and heat capacity (C) data, for more than 25 000 chemical compounds. This database is equivalent to more than twenty thick data books.

The current HSC version 9 contains 24 calculation modules:

1. Sim - Process simulation
2. Reaction Equations
3. Heat and Material Balances
4. Heat Loss Calculator
5. Equilibrium Calculations
6. Electrochemical Cell Equilibriums
7. Eh-pH Diagrams - Pourbaix
8. H, S, C and Ellingham Diagrams
9. Tpp Diagrams - Stability diagrams
10. Lpp Diagrams - Stability diagrams
11. Water - Steam tables, etc.
12. H, S, Cp Estimates
13. Conversions - Species to elements
14. Mineralogy Iterations
15. Periodic Chart - Elements
16. Measure Units
17. HSC AddIn Functions
18. Data - Statistical analysis
19. Geo - Mineralogical calculations
20. Map - GPS material stock
21. Fit - Numerical Data fit
22. Aqua

HSC also contains:

1. H, S and Cp Thermochemical Database
2. Water Steam/Fluid Database
3. Heat Conduction Database
4. Heat Convection Database
5. Surface Radiation Database
6. Gas Radiation Calculator
7. Particle Radiation Calculator
8. Elements Database
9. Measure Units Database
10. Minerals Database with 3581 minerals
11. Aqueous Solution Density Database