The role of thermal analysis in environmental protection

In the past industry has developed chemicals and products, optimized for the best suitable properties concerning different application fields. Now, ideas of environmental precaution are arising, on the one hand looking for reduction of materials flow to avoid or minimize the waste, on the other hand following the idea of process and product integrated environmental protection. That means to develop processes and products which are safer and more tolerant regarding the environment and its organisms.In this connection thermal analysis is a very successful tool for predicting the risk of burning processes or fire accidents. Thermal analysis in this context means the classical thermal analysis methods like DTA, TG, DSC and its couplings with gas analysis methods as well as the simulation of burning processes in different kind of furnaces with identification and quantification of the evolved gases.