Thermo-mechanical Analysis (TMA)
Thermomechanical Analysis (TMA) is a way to find out what a material’s physical properties are like when a force is applied at certain temperatures and for a certain amount of time. TMA can be used to study the properties of viscoelastic materials like organic polymers. Both the stiffness and the elasticity of these materials affect how they respond to mechanical stresses.
Brief Description:
The sample is put into the furnace, and the probe, which is linked to the Length Detector and Force Generator, touches it. The thermocouple, which is used to measure temperature, is close to the sample. By putting force on the sample from the Force Generator through the probe, the temperature of the sample is changed in the furnace. The Length Detector uses the movement of the probe to measure how the sample changes when the temperature does. This includes things like thermal expansion and softening. The Length Detection sensor is made with a Linear Variable Differential Transformer.
Sample Preparation of TMA:
TMA measures thermal expansion and effects like softening, crystallization, and solid-to-solid transitions, which show what a material is made of and what it can be used for. TMA has the following measurement modes that can be used to analyze different types of samples:
- Dilatometry
- Penetration
- Tension
- 3-Point Bending
- Swelling
TMA Uses:
TMA is used to measure the glass transition temperature (Tg) of polymers, the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of polymers, composites, or inorganics, the difference in CTE below and above Tg, and the difference in softening temperature before and after processing or physical aging.
Specifications for the TMA:
- Temperature range: -150 to 1,000° C
- Temperature ramp: 1 to 20°C/min
- Force range: 0.001 to 2 N (204 g)
- Operating Mode: Standard
