DSC involves heating a sample over a given temperature range.  As the sample is heated, a temperature is reached where the waxes and fats inside the product start to change in structure and melt. To induce this change in the sample, it needs to absorb heat, which results in a difference in heat flow relative to a reference. This difference, charted against the temperature, manifests as a DSC curve. The energy required for a phase-change process, known as the enthalpy of fusion, is calculated from the area under the curve.

The temperature at which waxes and fats melt, or become more liquid, depends upon their origin and the uniformity of a formulation. In this regard, DSC is an excellent technique to measure reproducibility between batches, whether different raw materials impact upon behavior, and if aging or external thermal environmental factors impact upon a product’s performance.