Industrialists of all sectors, you wish to quantify the crystallinity of your polymers by DSC?
What is a polymer?
First of all, polymers are materials made of long linear carbon chains that can contain side chains called branches.
If the organization of these chains does not present a long range order, polymers are qualified as amorphous materials and can be represented schematically by a statistical ball of chains.
They are then characterized by a glass transition temperature Tg corresponding to the change of state between materials called rubbery (soft and viscous if T > Tg) and materials called glassy (hard and brittle if T < Tg).
Moreover, if the chains adopt a regular conformation, the polymers present a long distance order and are qualified as crystalline.
What is the DSC?
One of the techniques commonly used to characterize the crystallinity of polymers but also their thermal properties (Tg, Tf, Tc, DHf, DHc) is the differential scanning calorimetry (DSC).
A true expert tool, the benefits of a DSC analysis are multiple:
- better process control
- specific definition of material specifications
- reduction of manufacturing costs, …
Why quantify the crystallinity of your polymers by DSC?
DSC can be used in a classical way (crystallinity control, polymer identification, …), but it can also be used to identify the origin of ruptures or failures of thermoplastic parts.
Indeed, taking into account the punctual irregularities intrinsically present at the level of the chains, the polymeric materials crystallize only partially and are thus qualified in practice as semi-crystalline.
Moreover, the rate of crystallinity is a parameter that directly impacts the characteristics of your polymers. Thus, the support of a laboratory for the DSC analysis of your polymers is an essential asset for the optimization of your polymers.
FILAB supports you in quantifying the crystallinity of your polymers by DSC
With significant experience in the implementation of this technique and the development of specific methods, FILAB can assist you in your polymer characterization needs.
To go further
Calorimetric analysis
Study of morphology (porosity)
Study of thermal properties by DSC, ATG, ATG-FTIR
Determination of the cross-linking rate
Determination of molecular weight by GPC
