What Are The Common Applications By Thermal Analysis?

Published: Sunday, 09 August 2015

Pharmaceutical Materials 

DSC and TGA analysis is often used in the research of pharma material characterstics. By adjusting the  heating rates DSC can identify the difference between different polymorphic structures and study variation of the polymorphic transition process arising. By using the appropriate heating rate, polymorph purity could be measured, typically at a heating rate of up to 750 degrees per minute (℃). TGA is often used to measure the residual solvent and water, and may also be used to determine the solubility of the drug material in a solvent.

Polymer

The thermoplastic polymer is common in packaging and household items. For the analysis of plastic raw materials, DSC can be used to analyze the effect of additives (including stabilizers and color) and optimization the materials and manufacturing processes plasticity. For example, studies of oxidation induction time (OIT) by DSC of thermoplastics can be determined (usually a polyolefin), which antioxidant polymer stabilizer additive amount. Polymer composition analysis is the advantage of TGA, which separates the filler, the polymeric, resin and other additives. TGA can also test the thermal stability, and an additive effect and influence, such as flame retardants. 

Composite materials, such as carbon fiber composite material or glass epoxy composite thermal analysis, often work with DMA. Permeable modulus and damping properties of material was measured to understand the hardness of the material. Aerospace, automobiles, motorcycles, bicycles, these industries often use these analyzers as the production and quality control of the weapon. DSC is used to determine the composite curing characteristics of the resin and the resin can also confirm whether that can be remodeling, and confirm that the process of how much heat is generated in the process. Prediction dynamics analysis applications that can help optimize manufacturing processes. For example, TGA-permeable resin is heated to remove the sample and then measuring the remaining mass to understand the fiber content of the composite material. 

Metal

Metal manufacturing (cast iron, grey iron, ductile iron, compacted graphite iron, 3000 series aluminium alloys, copper alloys, silver, and complex steels) is one of the applications of thermal analysis. Liquid metal samples were removed from the furance and put into the cup with thermocouple temperature sensor embedded. The temperature is then monitored and recorded phase change diagram (liquidus, eutectic, and solidus). The phase change diagram, the chemical composition of metal castings or its crystal structure, can be calculated. 

The advanced technology to locate the heat turning point differential curve (gas holes, and shrinkage), or exothermic phase (carbides, beta crystals, inter crystalline copper, magnesium silicide, iron phosphide’s and other phases). The detection limit is about 0.01% to 0.03% by volume. 

Food

Most changes are related to food temperature, mainly in the production, transportation, storage, preparation, consumption process. For example, low-temperature sterilization pasteurization, sterilization, evaporation, cooking, freezing, cooling, and other processes cause changes in physical and chemical properties of food ingredients, and the impact of the final product, such as taste, appearance, texture and stability. It will thus enhance certain chemical reactions, such as hydrolysis, oxidation or reduction reactions may also cause physical changes in the food, such as evaporation, melting, crystallization, polymerization or gelation. More accurate understanding of the effects of temperature on the properties of the food, make food manufacturers improve production technology, improve product quality. In principle, most of the analysis may be applied in the food industry, and to monitor food quality, for example, spectroscopy (NMR, UV-Vis, visible light, infrared light, fluorescent), diffuse (light, X-ray, in son), physical properties (mass, density, rheology, heat capacity) and the like. Thermal Analysis Applications usually relatively small, mainly when used to measure temperature changes in the physical properties of foods (TG / DTG, DTA, DSC). 

Printed Circuit Boards (PCB)

Power consumption is an important issue in today's PCB design. Power dissipation causes a temperature difference, heat dissipation problems caused by the wafer. In addition to reliability problems, excess heat will affect the performance and safety of the equipment. An integrated circuit operating temperature should be kept below the limit makes circuit damaged. Thermal analysis equipment and therefore the printed circuit board industry can use.