Thermomechanical Analysis (TMA)
AMI uses a TA Instruments Discovery TMA-450.
Thermo-mechanical Analysis (TMA) measures changes in the dimensions of a sample as a function of time, temperature, and force in a controlled atmosphere. TMA can measure Coefficient of Thermal Expansion (CTE), along with transitions such as the glass transition (Tg). It can provide information on the compatibility of materials, suitability of materials for special environments, mechanical properties, or physical characteristics of materials.
| Specifications | |
| Temperature Range (max) | -150 to 1000 °C |
| Temperature Precision | ±1°C |
| Heating Rate | 0.01 to 150 °C/min |
| Furnace Cool Down Time (air cooling) | <10 min from 600 °C to 50°C |
| Maximum Sample Size – solid | 26 mm (L) x 10 mm (D) |
| Maximum Sample Size- film/fiber | 26 mm (L) x 1.0 mm (T) x 4.7 mm (W) |
| Measurement Precision | ±0.1% |
| Sensitivity | 15 nm |
| Displacement Resolution | <0.5 nm |
| Dynamic Baseline Drift | <1μm (-100 to 500 °C) |
| Force Range | 0.001 to 2 N |
| Atmosphere (static or controlled flow) | Argon, Helium, Nitrogen, and Air |
Typical methods include:
- ASTM E831
- ASTM E1545
- ASTM E1824
- ASTM E2347
