Any analysis of physical or thermodynamic properties of materials in which heat (or its removal) is directly involved; for example, boiling, freezing, solidification-point determinations, heat of fusion and heat of vaporization measurements, distillation, calorimetry, and differential thermal, thermogravimetric, thermometric, and thermometric titration analyses. Also known as thermoanalysis.

Determining transformations in a metal by observing the temperature-time relationship during uniform cooling or heating; phase tranformations are indicated by irregularities in a smooth curve.