What Is Thermal Analysis?
Thermal analysis quantifies how materials evolve with temperature and time: mass loss and stability, transition temperatures, viscoelastic response, and dimensional change or softening. The analysis is relevant for polymers, adhesives, composites, elastomers, and engineered materials.
Typical outcomes:
- Phase Transitions: Melting, crystallization, glass transition.
- Thermal Stability: Onset and stages of decomposition, residue.
- Heat Flow: Enthalpy of melting or reactions (endothermic/exothermic).
- Thermomechanical Properties: Expansion (CTE), softening, deformation.
- Composition/purity: Component ratios and material purity.
- Reaction Behavior: Curing, oxidation, or material compatibility.
Use cases:
- Set processing and cure windows; verify bake and anneal profiles.
- Qualify suppliers; monitor lot-to-lot consistency.
- Correlate thermal events with mechanical drift and dimensional change.
How It Works
You bring the question and the context. We align on the decision at stake, then set objectives, temperature ranges, atmospheres, and ramp/hold profiles that mirror real use. We also lock sample geometry, conditioning, and fixturing up front so signal quality, repeatability, and comparability stay tight from run to run.
We run the thermal program and let the data converge. We align datasets to separate chemistry from physical change and to distinguish process history from intrinsic limits. You get results with uncertainties and assumptions, translated into processing guidance and reliability calls.
Techniques Used in Thermal Analysis
Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC)
Quantifies heat flow for material optimization. Explore
Dynamic Mechanical Analysis (DMA)
Characterizes thermal and mechanical properties of soft materials. Explore
Infra-Red (IR) Thermography
Visualizes surface temperatures to reveal defects & hotspots. Explore
Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA)
Measures material mass changes with temperature or time. Explore
Thermomechanical Analysis (TMA)
Measures material dimension changes with temp, time, or force. Explore
