Thermal analysis is a key element in the design of most engineering systems from electronics to aerodynamic components. In fact, many products require thermal analysis and Creo Simulation Live can be used to simulate these thermal conditions.
When it comes to thermal analysis, there are several techniques that can be used. Two or more can be combined together to get the best results, e.g. simultaneous TG-DTA.
How Does It Work?
Thermal analysis is a blanket term that covers several different analytical techniques that track changes in materials as they’re heated, cooled or kept at constant temperature. These changes are reflected in material properties like weight and stiffness as well as chemical and physical events such as glass transition, melting and crystallization. These measurable changes are plotted as thermograms and they allow you to understand your sample’s behavior under specific conditions.
These measurements can be taken in an air or inert gas atmosphere, under reducing conditions and even under water. Different measurements are taken in a controlled environment, and the choice of the right test is based on what information is required from the thermal analysis.
DP/DT (differential penetration and differential scanning calorimetry) measures the mass loss and diffusion of a substance at elevated temperatures, and can be used to characterize a wide variety of materials and processes. DP/DT can be used to determine the purity, the melting and crystallization points of a substance, the formation of volatile reaction products, the phase separation of polymers, oxidation, and other thermal phenomena.
What Are the Benefits?
Thermal analysis is a blanket term that encompasses several different techniques that track physical changes to a material as it heats or cools. Each technique has its own specific uses, but all have one thing in common: they can provide insights into a material’s performance under load or stress.
Modern thermal analysis techniques use sophisticated computer technology to control the sample’s temperature while analyzing data from a variety of sensors. They can then provide a detailed report that can inform engineering decisions for a more optimal final product.
The results from a thermal analysis experiment can reveal the thermal properties of your material, including its transition temperatures and melting points. They can also show how a material absorbs or releases energy, and how it responds to temperature fluctuations. The information gained from a thermal analysis experiment can also help you make more informed engineering decisions for your next design iteration.
Thermal analysis instruments are important tools for foundries because they can improve the quality of the metal, reduce waste, free up labor and speed up production time. Even low-quality foundries can benefit from these thermal analysis systems, since they don’t usually have a spectrometer lab and use electric or cupola melting.
What Are the Limitations?
The physical properties of materials change in response to temperature. Using thermal analysis software helps to understand these changes and make design decisions that ensure your product will perform well in its intended environment. This is especially important for new production methods like additive manufacturing.
The most common type of modern thermal analysis is differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). This measurement technique measures the amount of heat that a sample absorbs or releases in a controlled way. It can be used to study the physical properties of a material, such as glass transitions and melting, or chemical properties, such as oxidation and curing.
In foundries, thermal analysis is essential to reducing scrap and improving metal quality. By analyzing the chemistry of a melt with a thermal analysis system, foundries can optimize their processes and increase production rates. Thermal analysis systems also save time by allowing workers to quickly identify issues with the chemistry of a melt, so they can take corrective action.
What Can We Do With It?
Whether you’re designing an electronic component or an aerodynamic aircraft component, thermal analysis is important. With top thermal testing techniques, engineers can determine how much heat a particular material can take and avoid any catastrophic failures, or even less-dramatic issues like melting or shrinking.
There are several different thermal analysis techniques, and each one can have its own benefits. Some test methods track mass loss as the materials is heated, while others can provide information on chemical reactions and kinetics. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) is a common thermal technique that provides data on a material’s weight change as it’s heated. It can also help identify if the material is a solid, liquid, or gas.
Other types of thermal analysis can track how a material responds to time-varying temperatures. Steady-state thermal analysis determines temperature, heat flux, and heat flow rates, while transient thermal analysis measures time-dependent parameters.
Thermal analysis can also be combined with other testing technologies to improve the accuracy of the results. For instance, TGA can be combined with differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) to determine how a material changes over time. This will show a material’s peak temperature, as well as the amount of heat it generates or absorbs.
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