Choosing the best geometry

Choosing a sample to suit the stiffness range of your DMA is the single most important factor in obtaining good results. You will need to know the stiffness range of the dynamic 

Different geometric arrangements have inherently different stiffnesses. If they are ranked from the highest to the lowest, the following results  

Simple shear tension clamped bending three-point bending 

All commercially available DMAs support these geometries. 

Most dynamic mechanical analysers display the valid range of modulus for a particular sample geometry. Ensure that the results obtained are well within these limits or adjust the sample size accordingly to better fit the range of the DMA being used. The lower stiffness limit of the instrument will dictate when the measurement has to stop. 

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