Mathematical models of a Tian-Calvet microcalorimeter were solved numerically by the finite-element method in an effort to understand the relative importance of the three basic heat transfer mechanisms operative during gas dosing experiments typically used to determine heats of adsorption on catalysts and adsorbents. The analysis pays particular attention to the quantitative release of heat through various elements of the cell and sensor cups to assess time delays and the degree of thermal shunting that may result in inaccuracies in calorimetric measurements. Conductive transfer predominates in situations where there is high gas headspace pressure. The convection currents that arise when dosing with considerable gas pressure in the cell headspace region are not sufficiently strong to shunt significant amounts of sample heat away from being sensed by the surrounding thermopiles. Therefore, the heat capture fraction (heat sensed/heat produced) does not vary significantly with gas headspace pressure. During gas dosing under very low gas headspace pressure, radiation losses from the top of the sample bed may significantly affect the heat capture fraction, leading to underestimations of adsorption heats, unless the heat radiated from the top of the catalyst bed is effectively reflected back to the sample region or absorbed by an inert packing layer also in thermal contact with the thermopile wall. (C) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.