DISCOVER the WORLD’S FINEST THERMOMECHANICAL ANALYZER Dynamic Vapor Sorption Analyzer

DISCOVER a TMA that delivers Superior Performance Unmatched Sensitivity Maximum Versatility

DISCOVERY TMA THERMOMECHANICAL ANALYSIS TA Instruments invites you to experience the finest in Thermomechanical Analyzers, the Discovery TMA 450. Discover the advanced engineering and attention to detail that provides enhancements in every aspect of performance and a new level of user experience. Featuring advanced testing capabilities and the widest range of fixtures, the Discovery TMA 450 is sure to meet and exceed your expectations. It’s never been easier to get great TMA data! Features and Benefits: • Non-contact, friction-free motor delivers forces from 0.001 N to 2 N enabling measurements...

With the ever-increasing demands for higher performing materials to meet the needs of challenging applications, understanding how a material reacts to its environment is more important than ever. Meeting and exceeding industry standards* for testing, the Discovery TMA 450 provides information about the material’s coefficient of linear thermal expansion (CTE), shrinkage, softening, glass transition temperatures, and much more.The advanced options can be used to obtain viscoelastic properties such as the material’s stiffness (modulus), damping properties (tan delta), creep, and stress relaxation....

TECHNOLOGY INSTRUMENT DESIGN TA Instruments’ engineering experience in design allows us to seamlessly integrate critical furnace, dimension measurement, and atmosphere-control components, which meld with powerful TRIOS software to ensure configuration flexibility and maximum versatility on the Discovery TMA 450. Furnace The TMA 450 features a highly-responsive low-mass furnace designed for the most precise control of temperature from -150°C to 1000°C and stable heating rates in the range of 0.1 to 100°C/min. The furnace ensures the superior baseline performance required for accurate dimension...

Sample Stage High Performance Displacement Transducer Friction-Free Force Motor Instrument Design

TECHNOLOGY TEST FIXTURES Expansion Expansion measurements determine a material’s coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE), glass transition temperature (Tg), and compression modulus. A flat-tipped standard expansion probe is placed on the sample (a small static force may be applied), and the sample is subjected to a temperature program. Probe movement records sample expansion or contraction. This test is used with most solid samples. The larger surface area of the macro-expansion probe facilitates analysis of soft or irregular samples, powders, and films, and the volumetric fixture allows the determination...

Test Fixtures

TECHNOLOGY TEST FIXTURES & APPLICATIONS Expansion, Macro-Expansion, & Volumetric Accurate Coefficient of Thermal Expansion Measurements This example demonstrates the use of the expansion probe to accurately measure CTE changes in an aluminum sample over a 200°C temperature range. TRIOS software permits analysis of the curve slope using a variety of methods to compute the CTE at a selected temperature or over a range. Point-to-Point Method α= 27.6 µm/m˚C Average Method α= 26.8 µm/m˚C Softening Temperature (Ts) Determination The penetration fixture was used to test polycarbonate/acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene...

Tension Fiber Stress/Strain Measurements Stress/strain measurements are widely used to assess and compare materials. The figure to the right the different regions of stress/strain behavior in a 25 mm polyamide fiber in tension, subjected to a force ramp at a constant temperature. The fiber undergoes an instantaneous deformation followed by retardation, then a linear stress/strain response, and finally yield elongation. Other parameters (e.g., yield stress, Young’s modulus) can be determined. Yield Region 3-Point Bending Material Performance and Selection The figure to the left is an example of...

The ALL NEW TMA 450 RH is a stand-alone instrument that allows for controlled relative humidity experiments over both wide temperature and RH ranges. Measure CHE, CTE*, track Tg changes, and perform dynamic experiments, all under a controlled RH environment. Features and Benefits: • Broadest range of RH and Temperature of any instrument on the market (See graph below). • Widest range of low-expansion quartz fixtures providing industry-leading baseline flatness for superior dimension change measurements. • Non-contact, friction-free motor delivers forces from 0.001 N to 2 N enabling measurements...

The TMA 450 RH sample chamber is specifically designed with a precisely positioned temperature and humidity sensor to provide the best control of the sample s temperature and humidity environment.

The expansion or swelling of a material due to water uptake is dependent on the material’s coefficient of hygroscopicity (CHE). The plot to the right measures this property for Kapton, an important polyimide used in the electronics industry. The plot is a sorption isotherm produced from a stepped humidity experiment. Also shown is the calculated CHE between successive points. Comparing Hygroscopicity Perflurosulfonic Acid (PFSA) films, also known as proton exchange membranes, are used extensively in new battery technology. Many advanced polymers must be tested for responses to humid conditions....

Detecting Tg Glass transitions are sensitive to water uptake, as the water acts as a plasticizer. Detecting and tracking changes in Tg are critical to material function and storage. The plot to the right shows the Tg of a gelatin used in pharmaceutical drug capsules captured with a RH ramp of 2%/min at 37 and 50°C. At higher temperatures, the Tg is shifted to lower RH levels due to higher water uptake and resultant plasticization. 600 Gelatin Capsule @ 37˚C Gelatin Capsule @ 50˚C forces involved. In the plot on the right, a polymer film is held under isostrain conditions of 0.2% and the force...