Simultaneous Thermal Analysis (STA)
What is STA?
Simultaneous Thermal Analysis (STA) is an advanced thermal characterization technique that combines thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) in a single measurement. It simultaneously monitors mass changes and heat flow in materials as a function of temperature, providing comprehensive insights for R&D, production, and failure analysis.
Principle of work:
STA delivers synchronized data on:
- Thermal Transitions & Stability – Correlates mass loss (TGA) with thermal events (DSC) to distinguish between decomposition, melting, and glass transitions (Tg), eliminating interpretation ambiguities.
- Cure Kinetics & Reaction Analysis – Tracks real-time mass variations alongside reaction enthalpy, enabling precise determination of activation energy and curing behavior.
- Oxidative & Decomposition Mechanisms – Measures oxidative stability through combined mass gain/loss (TGA) and heat flow (DSC) profiles, identifying exothermic oxidation or endothermic degradation.
- Phase Transformations – Detects crystallization (Tc) and melting (Tm) while confirming mass stability, critical for polymorph screening and purity analysis.
Applications
- Polymers – Decoupling filler decomposition (TGA) from polymer melting (DSC) in composites, and optimizing cure cycles for elastomers and thermosets.
- Paints and Resins Industry – Simultaneously measuring mass changes (TGA) and heat flow (DSC) during polymer curing/decomposition to optimize formulation stability and crosslinking efficiency (±0.1% weight resolution).
- Food Industry – Correlating mass loss profiles with endothermic/exothermic events to precisely characterize dehydration, lipid oxidation, and starch gelatinization (sensitivity: 0.1 μg balance + 1 μW DSC).
- Metallurgy Industry – Integrating oxidation kinetics (TGA) with phase transition enthalpies (DSC) for comprehensive alloy development, covering 25-1600°C range with controlled atmosphere (O₂/N₂/Ar).
- Pharmaceuticals – Resolving solvent loss (TGA) from polymorphic transitions (DSC) in drug formulations, ensuring stability and bioavailability.
- Nanomaterials – Characterizing coating integrity by synchronizing decomposition temperatures (TGA) with phase change energies (DSC) in core-shell structures.
- Quality Assurance – Validating material consistency through unified mass-enthalpy profiles, detecting impurities or formulation errors in a single experiment.
- By integrating TGA and DSC, STA eliminates data mismatches from separate tests, accelerates development cycles, and delivers unambiguous thermal property characterization.
Features | STA |
Temperature range | RT to 1500°C |
Heating Range | 0.1 to 25 K/min |
Measuring Range | Up to 30 gr |
Resolution | 1.10 μg |
Caloric effects | Endothermal and Exothermal |
Thermocouple | type E, K, S, R |
Crucibles | Pt, Al2O3, Au, ZrO2, AL |
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