Melting behavior of plastics

Understanding the melting behavior of plastics is essential for gaining fundamental insights into their thermal properties and processing characteristics. A range of analytical methods can be used to investigate melting behavior

 

Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC)

DSC is used to determine the heat capacity and/or enthalpy change of a material as a function of temperature, heating or cooling rate, and time. It provides key information on melting temperature, melting enthalpy, and glass transition behavior.

 

Fast Scanning Calorimetry (FSC)

As an extension of DSC, FSC makes it possible to determine melting temperature, melting enthalpy, and glass transition temperature over a wider temperature and rate range, as well as to investigate isothermal and non-isothermal crystallization kinetics.

 

pVT Measurement

pVT measurements on polymers enable the precise determination of specific volume as a function of temperature and pressure. They also allow the pressure dependence of glass transition temperature and melting temperature to be determined. This provides an important basis for the characterization of polymer melts and for the simulation and design of manufacturing processes.

 

Thermo-Mechanical Analysis (TMA)

Thermo-mechanical analysis (TMA) allows the determination of linear coefficients of thermal expansion for materials and components. Under controlled mechanical loading, TMA can also record deformation behavior, such as shrinkage, creep, or recovery effects.

 

Rheology

Rheological investigations include the measurement of viscosity and flow behavior of plastics at different shear rates, temperatures, and pressures. This enables predictions of the flow behavior of a plastic under application-relevant processing conditions and provides input parameters for relevant simulations.

 

Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA)

Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) is used to investigate mass loss under controlled heating rates. This provides information on the degradation behavior and thermal decomposition process of plastics, polymer blends, and composites.