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Thermal Analysis Tests

Materials are increasingly required in situations that challenge the thresholds of their thermal capabilities. It is therefore important to understand material behaviour under the influence of thermal loads. Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), Temperature Modulated Differential Scanning Calorimetry (TMDSC) and Dynamic Mechanical Analysis (DMA) are tools that provide a variety of important information of use to the design engineer. These techniques can be used to analyse most materials in use today in a large number of applications such as elastomers, thermoplastics, thermosets, composites, coatings, adhesives, films, fibres, ceramics and metals and even biological materials and foods.

Differential Scanning Calorimetry

DSC measures the temperatures and heat flow associated with transitions in materials as a function of time and temperature.

Some measurements that the DSC can make are :

• Glass Transitions
• Melting and Boiling Points
• Crystallisation time and temperature
• Percent Crystallinity
• Heats of Fusion and Reactions
• Specific Heat and Heat Capacity
• Oxidative Stability
• Rate and Degree of Cure
• Reaction Kinetics
• Percent Purity
• Thermal Stability

Temperature Modulated Differential Scanning Calorimetry:

TMDSC is a modification of DSC which allows the differentiation of overlapping transitions. In TMDSC, a sinusoidal modulation is overlaid on the linear heating ramp of the DSC. Depending on the underlying heating rate, the period and amplitude of modulation, the result is am improved resolution and sensitivity not possible in any other technique. Fourier Transformation analysis is then used to separate the resulting raw experimental heat flow into the heat capacity related (reversible) and kinetic (non-reversible) heat flows. Typical reversing events are glass transitions and crystalline melting and examples of non-revering events are cold crystallisation, evaporation, thermoset cure and decomposition.

Dynamic Mechanical Analysis:

DMA is a technique that measures the modulus (stiffness) and damping (energy dissipation) of materials as they are deformed under periodic stress. Polymeric materials, which are viscoelastic in nature, are subject to time, frequency and temperature effects on mechanical properties which can be analysed by this method. Material properties which can be measured by the technique are:

Modulus Damping Glass Transition Softening Temperature Rate of Cure Degree of Cure Viscosity Gelation Sound Absorption Impact Resistance Creep Sress Relaxation

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