Thermogravimetric Analysis

TGA
Projected availability: Fall 2021

Coming soon to the MILL!

Data Output & Analysis

TGA gives a mass vs. temperature plot. The absolute value of the derivative of mass vs. temperature is known as “DTG”. The degradation temperature of each sample was found from the largest value of DTG (point of fastest degradation). The 5%, 50%, and 99% mass lost temperatures (where applicable) can be determined from the initial mass. The primary component of weight loss at 5% weight loss is evaporation of moisture and other volatiles. At 50% and 99% weight loss the primary factors are pyrolysis, reduction, and desorption. The DTG plot signifies the rate of weight loss and is useful for finding the maximum rate of degradation and what temperature this occurs at. While both inert and oxidizing atmospheres can be used for TGA, the inert atmosphere is often preferred so it doesn’t interact with the sample and cause unwanted weight gain, potentially ruining any data collected.