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Background to Tg measurement
Polymer composites - Tg is used as a measure of the
degree of cure for the material.
Tg is a key material parameter specified in material
qualification plans
Thermal analysis techniques DSC, DMA widely used
for the measurement. TMA is used when the thermal
expansion additionally required
Industry concerns about the wide variability in the
reported data
DSC
Uses small quantities of material specimens - not
necessarily representative of end product in service.
Good response for pure resin
Poor response for composite samples
DMA
Preferred technique for polymer composites
additionally indicates mechanical response as a
function of temperature.
Traceability
Temperature (K)
main interest.
Additionally load
and displacement
to consider.
Data analysis
SI
mol
cd
Thermal lag
m
kg
Impact
Proposed solution
Analysis option
Condition
Usage
Tg(0)
Tg(n)
[]LossModulus(MPa)
3C/min
5C/min
800
10C/min
600
400
200
120
130
140
150
Temperature(C)
160
170
180
UniversalV4.5ATAInstruments
Test material
International Participation
Instrumentation details
Test mode(s)
Data received included tests undertaken in single cantilever, 3point bend and torsion modes.
Temperature calibration
Disabled. Data assessed as a worst case scenario measurement in the current excercise.
Test protocol
Data analysis
Data reporting
Analysis point
Heating rate
Tg (Reference)
Maximum difference
(C/minute)
Tg Inflection
Standard deviation
C
15
3.1
0 (extrapolated)
1.7
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank the industry and academic
participants for their valuable input in the validation exercise
by testing and providing additional comments. The support
by the following is greatly acknowledged.
Anton Paar (Austria)
Atomic Weapons Establishment (UK)
BAE Systems (UK)
Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial
Research Organisation (Australia)
www.npl.co.uk