In thermodynamics, the enthalpy of mixing (also heat of mixing and excess enthalpy) is the enthalpy liberated or absorbed from a substance upon mixing. When a substance or compound is combined with any other substance or compound, the enthalpy of mixing is the consequence of the new interactions between the two substances or compounds. This enthalpy, if released exothermically, can in an extreme case cause an explosion.

Enthalpy of mixing can often be ignored in calculations for mixtures where other heat terms exist, or in cases where the mixture is ideal. The sign convention is the same as for enthalpy of reaction: when the enthalpy of mixing is positive, mixing is endothermic, while negative enthalpy of mixing signifies exothermic mixing. In ideal mixtures, the enthalpy of mixing is null. In non-ideal mixtures, the thermodynamic activity of each component is different from its concentration by multiplying with the activity coefficient.

One approximation for calculating the heat of mixing is Flory–Huggins solution theory for polymer solutions.

For a liquid, enthalpy of mixing can be defined as follows

Where:

Enthalpy of mixing can also be defined using Gibbs free energy of mixing

However, Gibbs free energy of mixing and entropy of mixing tend to be more difficult to determine experimentally. As such, enthalpy of mixing tends to be determined experimentally in order to calculate entropy of mixing, rather than the reverse.

Enthalpy of mixing is defined exclusively for the continuum regime, which excludes molecular-scale effects (However, first-principles calculations have been made for some metal-alloy systems such as Al-Co-Cr or β-Ti).