Thermogravimetric analysis

Thermogravimetric analysis measures a sample’s mass as temperature or time changes. Its mass-change profile reveals thermal stability, composition, and reactions that release or absorb material.

Thermobalance: An instrument that continuously measures a sample’s mass while controlling its temperature and atmosphere. Its balance records the changing mass at the heart of the analysis.
Thermal stability: A material’s ability to retain its structure or properties under specified temperature and environmental conditions. The onset and rate of mass loss provide evidence about stability under heating.
Heating rate: The change in temperature per unit time during a controlled heating or cooling program. Changing the rate can shift apparent event temperatures and merge or separate mass-loss stages.
Thermomechanical analysis: A technique that measures a material’s dimensional change under a programmed temperature, time, or force condition. It tracks expansion or deformation rather than mass.
Thermogravimetric curve: A plot of sample mass or mass percentage against temperature or time during a programmed experiment. Its steps and plateaus turn recorded mass changes into interpretable events.
Proximate analysis: A method for measuring moisture, volatile matter, ash, and fixed carbon in fuels or other solids. Staged heating and residue measurement make thermogravimetry useful for these composition estimates.
Thermal decomposition kinetics: The study of how quickly materials decompose as temperature and time vary. Thermogravimetric mass-loss data can be used to estimate decomposition rates and kinetic parameters.
Dynamic mechanical analysis: A technique that measures a material’s response to oscillating mechanical force as temperature or frequency changes. It reveals viscoelastic behavior that a mass curve cannot measure.
Derivative thermogravimetry: The analysis of the rate of mass change, commonly plotted against temperature or time. Rate peaks help distinguish overlapping mass-loss stages in a thermogravimetric curve.
Moisture content: The amount of water present in a material, expressed as a mass or proportion. Early mass loss can quantify water released from a sample during heating.

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