Differential scanning calorimetry oxidative stability determined using

The useful lifetime of an organic product (e.g. polymers, lubricants) is often related to its resistance to oxidative decomposition, the so-called oxidative stability of the material [1,4]. Oxidative degradation of polymers is an exothermic process and is detectable by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). In order to determine oxidative stability by DSC, a small, unweighed sample is raised to an elevated temperature in an inert atmosphere. After reaching the desired temperature, the inert atmosphere of the sample is rapidly changed to an oxidizing atmosphere. The time to onset of the exothermic oxidation of the material is a measure of the oxidative stability of the product. 

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