Some General TA terms

Curve The curve describes the relationship between physical quantities and temperature or time under a controlled temperature program. The physical quantity should be plotted on the ordinate decreasing downwards and temperature (T) or time (/) on the abscissa increasing from left to right. 

Differential This refers to the difference between two physical quantities (e.g. the temperatures of sample and reference material for DTA) under a controlled temperature program. 

Derivative The derivative expresses the rate of change of physical quantity against temperature or time. 

Subscripts The use of double subscripts, such as T p, T , should be avoided. If the subscript relates to an object, it should be a capital letter, e.g. represents the mass of the sample, the temperature of the reference material. If the subscript relates to a phenomenon occurring, it should be lower case, e.g. represents the glass transition temperature, the temperature of crystallization, the temperature of melting, T the temperature of a solid-state transition. 

Heating rate The heating rate can be expressed either as dT/df, when a true derivative is intended, or as fi in K min. The heating rate 

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