Differential scanning calorimetry glass transition temperature determined using

Empirical Relationship - Empirical relationships correlating glass transition temperature of an amorphous viscoelastic material with measurement temperature and frequency, such as the William Landel Ferry equation (17) and the form of Arrhenius equation as discussed, assume an affine relationship between stress and strain, at least for small deformations. These relationships cover finite but small strains but do not include zero strain, as is the case for the static methods such as differential scanning calorimetry. However, an infinitely small strain can be assumed in order to extend these relationships to cover the glass transition temperature determined by the static methods (DSC, DTA, dilatometry). Such a correlation which uses a form of the Arrhenius equation was suggested by W. Sichina of DuPont (18). 

In order to investigate miscibility and phase behavior of polymer blends, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) has been frequently used for determination of glass transition temperature, crystalline melting temperature and other thermal properties. 

The more common techniques used to analyze thermosets and composites are thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), which can determine the thermal properties and also the best conditions for application of the materials. These techniques can be apphed to polymers to determine their specific heat, degree of polymerization, flanunability, degradation, cure, glass transition temperature (Tg), and other characteristics. Analysis of composites should consider the behavior of each component, including the matrix, reinforcement, plasticizers and fire retardants. 

Glass-transition temperatures are commonly determined by differential scanning calorimetry or dynamic mechanical analysis. Many reported values have been measured by dilatometric methods however, methods based on the torsional pendulum, strain gauge, and refractivity also give results which are ia good agreement. Vicat temperature and britde poiat yield only approximate transition temperature values but are useful because of the simplicity of measurement. The reported T values for a large number of polymers may be found ia References 5, 6, 12, and 13. 

Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) is fast, sensitive, simple, and only needs a small amount of a sample, therefore it is widely used to analyze the system. For example, a polyester-based TPU, 892024TPU, made in our lab, was blended with a commercial PVC resin in different ratios. The glass transition temperature (Tg) values of these systems were determined by DSC and the results are shown in Table 1. 

Molecular weight was determined using gel permeation chromatography (GPC, Waters Millipore). The glass transition temperatures (7g) were analysed using differential scanning calorimetry (Perkin-Elmer DSC-2). 

Most of the physical properties of the polymer (heat capacity, expansion coefficient, storage modulus, gas permeability, refractive index, etc.) undergo a discontinuous variation at the glass transition. The most frequently used methods to determine Tg are differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermomechanical analysis (TMA), and dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA). But several other techniques may be also employed, such as the measurement of the complex dielectric permittivity as a function of temperature. The shape of variation of corresponding properties is shown in Fig. 4.1. 

Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) can be used to determine experimentally the glass transition temperature. The glass transition process is illustrated in Fig. 1.5b for a glassy polymer which does not crystallize and is being slowly heated from a temperature below Tg. Here, the drop which is marked Tg at its midpoint, represents the increase in energy which is supplied to the sample to maintain it at the same temperature as the reference material. This is necessary due to the relatively rapid increase in the heat capacity of the sample as its temperature is increases pass Tg. The addition of heat energy corresponds to the endothermal direction. 

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