Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA): TA Instruments TGA55 ⁽¹⁾

TGA is a technique for determining the thermal stability of materials, such as polymeric composites and pharmaceutical compounds.

• Operation temperature: ambient to 1000^oC
• Gas atmosphere: Air or N₂
• Heating rates: 0.1 to 100 ^oC/min
• Sample volume capacity: 100 μL Platinum-HT
• Sample weight: 10 to 1000 mg
• Accuracy: 0.1% of value or 10μg, whichever is greater

Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC): Mettler-Toledo DSC ⁽²⁾

DSC is a technique for measuring heat flow of phase changes in solid or liquid states.

• Operation Temperatures: -90°C to 600°C
• Gas atmosphere: Air or N₂
• Heating rate up to 100K/min
• Cooling rate up to 50K/min
• Sample weight: 2 to 10 mg
• Sample pan: Aluminum 40 uL
• Isothermal, dynamic and TOPEM experiments

Rheological Measurement: TA Instruments Discovery Hybrid Rheometer HR-20 ⁽¹⁾

Rheology is the study of the flow and deformation of matter. A rheometer is an instrument that measures both the viscosity and viscoelasticity of fluids, semi-solids, and solids. The HR-20 can perform rheological measurements in rotation and oscillation modes.

• Specifications:

  • Torque range: 1 nN·m to 200 mN·m

  • Torque Resolution: 0.1 nN·m

  • Angular velocity: up to 300 rad/s

  • Angular displacement resolution: 2 nrad

  • Normal force: up to 50 N

  • Normal Force Sensitivity: 0.005 N

  • Normal Force Resolution: 0.5 mN

  • Frequency Range: 1.0E-07 to 100 Hz

• Accessories: 

  • Peltier Plate System:

    Advanced Peltier Plate: temperature range 0 – 200 ^oC, upper 20/50 mm 2 deg cones and plates, and solvent trap

    Peltier Concentric Cylinder: temperature range 0 – 150 ^oC

  • Environmental Test Chamber (ETC) oven:

    25 mm Parallel Plate Geometry and base

    Heating rates: up to 60 ^oC/min

    Temperature range: ambient to 600 ^oC

  • Tribology:

    Peltier Ball on three plates

Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR): Bruker INVENIO-R

FT-IR is a technique for identifying organic or inorganic materials by measuring the absorption of infrared radiation on the sample material versus wavelength.

• Spectral range: 8000 to 180 cm-1

• Spectral resolution: 0.16 cm-1

• Wavenumber accuracy: 0.005 cm-1

• Diamond ATR accessory A225/Q

• Detector: RT-DLaTGS and LN-MCT Mid (D316/B)

• Beamsplitter: MIR-KBr (T303/IR) and Mylar Multilayer

• Sample compartment window: KBr and Polyethylene

• Bruker ATR-FTIR Chemicals Library: ATR-LIB-CHEMICALS+

Fourier transform near-infrared spectroscopy (FT-NIR): PerkinElmer Spectrum Two N FT-NIR ⁽³⁾

NIR spectra comprise broad bands arising from overlapping absorptions corresponding mainly to overtones and combinations of vibrational modes involving CH, OH and NH chemical bonds. FT-NIR is a technique for determination of the concentrations of constituents such as water, protein, fat and carbohydrate in plant and animal tissues.

• InGaAs detector enables to collect data over a total range of 10,000 to 4,000 cm^-1
• The Near Infrared Reflectance Module (NIRM) with sample spinner allows for collecting diffuse reflectance spectra of solids, granules, pastes, powders and turbid liquids
• Heatable Transmission Module allows for easy elevated temperature measurements on samples