DSC and FTIR Testing
3-Day Turnaround
Instant Ordering
Differential Scanning Calorimetry
The DSC is a thermo-analytical technique that measures the difference in the amount of heat that is required to raise the temperature of the sample material relative to a reference cell as a function of temperature (temperature sweep) or time (isothermal scan). In a classic temperature sweep, the sample is heated at a constant rate and, when the sample undergoes a physical transformation, a different amount of heat will flow into the sample relative to the reference. These differences are recorded and are able to be displayed graphically and interpreted using algorithms to quantify the inflection points, peaks and integrated areas under curves that are associated with the various physical transitions.
For instance, when a sample melts and undergoes a phase change from a solid to a liquid, it will require more heat to increase its temperature and keep pace with the reference cell. The sample is absorbing extra heat to transition from one phase to the next. The DSC detects this difference, thus the term “differential,” and captures the extent of the endotherm (energy absorbance) and the onset of the occurrence known informally as a “melting point.” Conversely, the chemical reactions associated with curing thermosetting plastics are exothermic and the DSC records the reduced demand for heat relative to the reference cell because the sample is generating its own heat as polymerization occurs.
