Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC)

TA INSTRUMENTS DSC Q20

TA INSTRUMENTS DSC Q20

TA INSTRUMENTS DSC Q100

TA INSTRUMENTS DSC Q100

Sample Requirements

  • Solid or liquid samples, standard size (5- 15 mg)
  • Depending on type of Measurement: Typical Sample Size (mg)
    • Purity: 1 to 3mg
    • Melting point: 2 to 10mg
    • Glass transition: 10 to 20mg
    • Oxidative induction time (OIT): 5 to 20mg
    • Melting and crystallization: 5- 10mg

Summary of Technique

Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) is a thermal analysis technique in which the heat flow into or out of a sample is measured as a function of temperature or time, while the sample is exposed to a controlled temperature program.

 

Information Provided & Detection Limits

  • It is a very powerful technique to evaluate material properties such as glass transition temperature, melting, "cold" crystallization , specific heat capacity, cure process, purity, oxidation behavior, phase changes, product stability, oxidative stability, thermal conductivity, cure/cure kinetics, percent crystallization and thermal stability, solid solid transition.
  • The Q-100 has Modulated DSC capability. MDSC increases the amount of information that can be obtained from a single experiment.
  • In addition to transition temperatures, melting and crystallization and heat capacity, modulated DSC provides an improved resolution of transitions that overlap or occur only a few degrees apart, an increased sensitivity to weak transitions, and separation of reversing and non-reversing phenomena.

Other Applications

Polymorphic transitions, liquid crystal, protein denaturation,, hazard potential, lifetime estimation, cure rates, heat of fusion, heat of crystallization, expolosion potential,  heat of reaction

Detection Limits

The Q-20 and the Q-100 are connected to RCS coolers and have a temperature range of -90°C to 400°C. Temperature Accuracy +/- 0.1 °C and Precision +/- 0.05 °C

Lab Location and Contact Information

Location:  Thermal Analysis, Rheology, and Polymer Processing Lab
Point of Contact: Dennis Ndaya
dennis.ndaya@uconn.edu
860-486-4075