Chemical functionalization thermogravimetric analysis

By definition [26,27], thermogravimetric analysis is a technique in which the mass of a substance is measured as a function of time or temperature while the substance is subjected to a controlled temperature program. Because mass is a fundamental attribute of a material, any mass change is more likely to be associated with a chemical change, which may, in turn, reflect a compositional change. 

The reaction between toluene 2,4-diisocyanate and carboxylated MWCNTs afforded amido-functionalized nanotubes containing highly reactive isocyanate groups on their surface (Scheme 1.4). The amount of the isocyanate groups was determined by chemical titration and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) [105]. The modified tubes may constitute promising components to prepare polymer-nanotube composites and coatings [106]. 

The next stage of characterization focuses upon the different phases present within the catalyst particle and their nature. Bulk, component structural information is determined principally by x-ray powder diffraction (XRD). In FCC catalysts, for example, XRD is used to determine the unit cell size of the zeolite component within the catalyst particle. The zeolite unit cell size is a function of the number of aluminum atoms in the framework and has been related to the coke selectivity and octane performance of the catalyst in commercial operations. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) can provide information about the distribution of crystalline and chemical phases greater than lOOnm within the catalyst particle. Differential thermal analysis (DTA) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) can be used to obtain information on crystal transformations, decomposition, or chemical reactions within the particles. Cotterman, et al describe how the generation of this information can be used to understand an FCC catalyst system. 

Thermal analysis is well suited for characterizing and identifying plastics, as their properties are temperature dependent. It involves methods in which the substance is subjected to a controlled temperature program and the changes in the physical and chemical properties are measured as a function of temperature or time. The ambient atmosphere also influences the properties of plastic. Thermal analysis comprises traditional techniques differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), differential thermal analysis, thermogravimetric analysis, thermomechanical analysis, and more recent methods pressure differential scanning calorimetry, dynamic mechanical analysis, and differential photocalorimetry. 

Among the most commonly used thermoanalytical techniques is thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), which provides information about the mass variations resulting from a physical (sublimation, evaporation, condensation) or chemical (degradation, decomposition, oxidation) change as a function of time and/or temperatiue [12]. 

Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) Chemical analysis by weight change as a function of temperature. 

Thermal analysis is a group of techniques in which a physical property of a substance is measured as a function of temperature when the sample is subjected to a controlled temperature program. Single techniques, such as thermogravimetry (TG), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), dielectric thermal analysis, etc., provide important information on the thermal behaviour of materials. However, for polymer characterisation, for instance in case of degradation, further analysis is required, particularly because all of the techniques listed above mainly describe materials only from a physical point of view. A hyphenated thermal analyser is a powerful tool to yield the much-needed additional chemical information. In this paper we will concentrate on simultaneous thermogravimetric techniques. 

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