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The Secret of Thermogravimetric Analysis: Why It is Key to Materials Science?
In the world of materials science and engineering, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) is a key technique that provides scientists with a wealth of insights into how different materials behave under changes in temperature. Thermogravimetric analysis can reveal many physical phenomena such as phase change, adsorption and desorption by measuring the change in the mass of a sample over time, as well as chemical phenomena such as thermal decomposition and solid-gas reactions. This technology plays an indispensable role in the identification and evaluation of material properties.
Thermogravimetric analysis provides an in-depth understanding of the thermal stability, decomposition behavior, and various reaction mechanisms of a sample under different temperature conditions.
How a Thermogravimetric Analyzer Works
Thermogravimetric analysis is usually performed on an instrument called a thermogravimetric analyzer. This instrument continuously measures the mass of a sample as it varies over a set temperature range. The basic structure of a thermogravimetric analyzer includes a precision balance and a furnace that can control temperature. During this process, the mass change of the sample and the corresponding temperature data will be recorded to generate a TGA curve, which is a plot of mass or percentage of initial mass against temperature or time.
TGA curves can reveal the thermal stability of a material and reveal key features that may occur during its decomposition.
Types of Thermogravimetric Analysis
TGA analysis can be divided into three types: isothermal thermogravimetric analysis, quasi-static thermogravimetric analysis and dynamic thermogravimetric analysis. Each of these three techniques has its own unique application scenarios and can more accurately analyze the behavior of materials. Isothermal thermogravimetric analysis is suitable for long-term observation at a fixed temperature; quasi-static thermogravimetric analysis records the change in sample mass during staged temperature increase, while dynamic thermogravimetric analysis obtains thermal behavior data of the sample through linear temperature increase. .
Evaluation of thermal stability
TGA can be used to evaluate the thermal stability of materials. If a substance does not change in mass when heated within a specified temperature range, then it can be considered thermally stable within that range. TGA is particularly useful for polymeric materials because most polymers melt or degrade before 200°C. Some thermally stable polymers can withstand temperatures of at least 300°C, a property that TGA can provide powerful data on.
TGA not only shows the upper limit of the use temperature of the material, but also provides a detailed analysis of the thermal behavior of the polymer, which is crucial for the development of new materials.
Studies of oxidation and combustion
TGA can also be used to analyze the behavior of materials during combustion. For example, when testing a sample’s combustion reaction, TGA can reveal what remains after combustion and help study a material’s resistance to oxidation. The application of TGA is gaining more and more attention as NASA and other institutions conduct research on new alloy materials, studying their oxidation resistance in different environments to ensure the reusability of materials under high pressure and temperature.
Exploration of TGA dynamics
Thermogravimetric kinetic studies provide valuable information for exploring the mechanism of thermal decomposition reactions. By analyzing the thermal decomposition kinetics of different materials, scientists can gain insight into the activation energy and rate of the reaction. This is of great significance for material characterization and deciphering of reaction mechanisms.
Combined use with other instruments
Thermogravimetric analysis is often used in conjunction with other analytical techniques such as Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and mass spectrometry. Through these combinations, researchers can gain a more comprehensive understanding of the thermal behavior of materials and their reaction products, which is crucial for the development and optimization of new materials.
Through its combination with other analytical techniques, the application scope of TGA has been expanded, and its role in promoting material science research cannot be underestimated.
When exploring important topics in materials science, thermogravimetric analysis demonstrates irreplaceable value. It not only provides key information on material properties, but also provides a scientific basis for the application and improvement of materials. In the process of seeking innovation and developing new materials, have you considered the potential and application directions of thermogravimetric analysis?
