The history of Setaram

The history of modern calorimetry began at the University of Provence in Marseilles.

Professor Albert TIAN giving a chemistry lecture to P.C.N. (Physics, Chemistry and Natural Science) students

Chemistry lectures at that time were illustrated by numerous experiments. Albert TIAN made a principle of showing the students all the substances he talked about.

The chemistry collections - which were broken up at the end of the 1960's - comprised several thousand samples.

After obtaining the diploma of Doctor of Sciences in 1915, TIAN was appointed chemistry lecturer in 1919. In 1931 he was appointed to the Chair of General Chemistry, succeeding from BERG. The work performed by Albert Tian in the early 1920's served as the foundation for the majority of modern calorimetric instruments.

Tian described his compensation microcalorimeter for the first time in 1922, when he and his colleague COTTE used it to study the metabolism of insects. He brought further improvements to this thermocouple instrument in 1924 and 1926. Tian's successor,

Edouard CALVET (1895–1966) introduced the differential setup (1948) and a rational construction of the two twinned calorimetric elements, transforming Tian's appliance into a true laboratory instrument that today is commercialized by Setaram.

Professor Albert Tian	Professor Edouard Calvet

1948

Creation of ARAM (measuring instrument repair department of Ugine, the steelmaking group)

1954

Manufacture of glove boxes for Nuclear Research Centers
DAM: Diffusion des Appareils de Mesure (Distribution of Measuring Appliances)
Commercializes thermobalances (Eyraud balances) and Pr. Calvet's calorimeters

1960

ARAM moves into premises in the rue de Sèze in Lyon

1965

ARAM takes over DAM and the company changes its name to Setaram
Creation of special instruments, manufacture of thermobalances and calorimeters

Innovations for Thermal Analysis:
- First 1600°C furnaces with TUNGSTEN resistor.
- Start of production of furnaces with GRAPHITE resistor.
- Complete range in simultaneous ATG/ATD.
- "TAG" future symmetrical thermobalance

1970

The first Calvet DSC

1971

SETARAM was bought by SFIM (2,000 employees), an aeronautical company that wished to diversify its activities.

1975

Setaram exports to China, Japan, Russia

1997

SFIM sold its non-aeronautical activities, and Setaram joined the young high-tech manufacturing group KEP.

1998

Creation of the American subsidiary Setaram Inc.

2002

Several new products are put onto the market.

Setsys Evolution (high modularity TG-DSC-SDTA-TMA)	Differential Reaction calorimeter	Wetsys (Controlled humidity generator)

2003

Acquisition of the assets of Thermold (Thermally stimulated current).

The High-Pressure MicroDSC VII (up to 1000 bars) is put on the market

April 2004

ISO 9001-2000 certification

October 2004

A new logo is introduced and SETARAM adopts a market segment-based organization

January 2005

Signing of an exclusive partnership with the Swiss company AKTS (Advanced Kinetics Software)

October 2005

Delivery of the space calorimeter for the International Space Station

March 2006

Exclusive distribution partnership with MATHIS Instrument: TCi (thermal conductivity), becoming C-THERM company

September 2006

Opening of the Representation office of SETARAM China in Shanghai

January 2008

Acquisition of HY-ENERGY LLC (Newark, CA), a manufacturer of high performance gas sorption scientific instruments for the ever-expanding field of clean renewable energy research.

March 2008

Introduction of the EVO line, a complete new line of thermal analysis systems and of CALISTO, the new thermal analysis software.

November 2008

Partnership with HEL, the leader in adiabatic calorimetry.

April 2009

Partnership with ACL providing innovative solutions for the characterization and prediction of long term oxidative reactions.