Gas phase thermal diffusivities by a thermal lens technique

A simplified design of thermal lens apparatus is presented in which a chopped cw argon laser beam produces a transient thermal lens in a cylindrical gas cell. The axial intensity variation of a cw helium-neon laser probing this lens is analysed to yield the thermal diffusivities and thus the thermal conductivity coefficients of Kr, CO₂, CH₄, C₂H₆, C₃H₈, C₃H₆ and C₄H₁₀ as 9.4 × 10^?3 ± 4%, 1.6 × 10^?2 ± 3%, 2.98 × 10^?2 ± 4%, 2.03 × 10^?2 ± 4%, 2.05 × 10^?2 ± 7%, 1.6 × 10^?2 ± 8% and 1.9 × 10^?2 ± 8% respectively in W m^?1 K^?1 at 300 K. The method is rapid, requiring only that the sample be transparent at both laser frequencies used. A simplified mathematical analysis is shown to be adequate for this system. For the conditions specified, self-lensing of the argon laser beam is shown to be compensated by using an effective laser beam diameter.     

Potential of thermal analysis as applied to studying the kinetics of thermal degradation of polymers

The kinetics of thermal degradation of low-density polyethylene was studied by TGA and DSC at heating rates from 0.5 to 40 deg min^–1. Causes of significant discrepancies in the published effective kinetic constants of the overall reaction of thermal degradation of the polymers, determined using different experimental methods and different data treatment procedures, were analyzed. The possibility of using random break model as an alternative approach to describing polymer thermal degradation curves obtained by thermal analysis methods was demonstrated by the example of polyethylene.     

Intercomparison of thermal conductivity and thermal diffusivity methods for plastics

An intercomparison of measurements of the thermal conductivity and thermal diffusivity of two poly(methyl methacrylates) is reported. A wide variety of methods were used: temperature wave analysis, laser flash, transient plane source (Hot Disk^®), transient line-source probe, and heat flux meter methods. Very good agreement of thermal conductivity results and, separately, of thermal diffusivity results was obtained. Similarly, good agreement between thermal conductivity and thermal diffusivity results, when converted using specific heat capacity and density values, was also obtained. Typically, the values were within a range of approximately ±10%. Considering the significant differences between the methods and the requirements on specimen dimensions, the level of agreement between results was considered to be good.     

The linear thermal expansion and the thermal diffusivity measurements for near-stoichiometric (U, Ce)O2 solid solutions

The thermal diffusivities of near-stoichiometric (U, Ce)O₂ solid solutions containing CeO₂ up to 22 mol% were investigated in the temperature range of 298-1273 K using the laser flash method. Also, linear thermal expansion measurements were performed in the temperature range of 298-1673 K using a thermomechanical analysis. The thermal conductivities were determined by a calculation of the thermal diffusivity, the density and the specific heat. The thermal conductivities of the tested samples could be expressed as a function of the temperature by the phonon conduction equation k = (A + BT)⁻¹. The thermal conductivity decreased gradually with an increasing Ce content. This was attributable to the increasing lattice defect thermal resistance caused by the U⁴⁺, Ce⁴⁺ and O²⁻ ions as phonon scattering centers.     

The thermal stability of polyetherimide

A technique called bivariate fitting has been devised for obtaining kinetic parameters of thermal decomposition of polyetherimide from TGA data. In this way an apparent order of 5·33 was obtained, an apparent activation energy of 192kJ/mol, and a pre-exponential factor of 1·45 × 10¹²min⁻¹. Compared with other methods such as Friedman's⁵ and Ozawa's,⁶ this method was found to be a good approach to the solution of the kinetics of the decomposition. The products of the thermal degradation of the polymer were also analysed by ir, elemental analysis and pyrolysis/gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. A decomposition mechanism is suggested.     

The thermal decomposition of doped ammonium perchlorate

The thermal decomposition of ammonium perchlorate doped with Cu²⁺, Mn²⁺, Co²⁺ and Fe³⁺ (with and without H⁺) was studied using DTA and TG. Small concentrations of these ions inhibit the decomposition by eliminating the first exothermic peak. At higher concentrations, a catalyzed decomposition is observed. Either the influence of the doping ions on the mechanism of the thermal decomposition is different from that of added oxides or a modification of the electron transfer mechanism is needed.     

Characterization of very low thermal conductivity thin films

Characterization of thermal transport in nanoscale thin films with very low thermal conductivity (<1 W m^?1 K^?1) is challenging due to the difficulties in accurately measuring spatial variations in temperature field as well as the heat losses. In this paper, we present a new experimental technique involving freestanding nanofabricated specimens that are anchored at the ends, while the entire chip is heated by a macroscopic heater. The unique aspect of this technique is to remove uncertainty in measurement of convective heat transfer, which can be of the same magnitude as through the specimen in a low conductivity material. Spatial mapping of temperature field as well as the natural convective heat transfer coefficient allows us to calculate the thermal conductivity of the specimen using an energy balance modeling approach. The technique is demonstrated on thermally grown silicon oxide and low dielectric constant carbon-doped oxide films. The thermal conductivity of 400 nm silicon dioxide films was found to be 1.2 W m^?1 K^?1, and is in good agreement with the literature. Experimental results for 200 nm thin low dielectric constant oxide films demonstrate that the model is also capable of accurately determining the thermal conductivity for materials with values <1 W m^?1 K^?1.     

Effect of water release on thermal properties of polyaniline

Conducting polyaniline (PANI) was studied by thermal expansion measurement, thermogravimetric analysis and by electrical conductivity measurement. Relative elongation and coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) were determined from room temperature to 60 °C. Various temperature profiles were used. During heating, the treatment of samples at a constant temperature higher than the room temperature, or evacuation, water was released from the samples. Water release was detected by mass and thermogravimetric analysis. Water release was connected with shrinkage of the PANI samples and apparent negative CTE in the first thermal cycle. In the following thermal cycles, it increased and reached a positive value. CTE of PANI attained values in the range of ?30 × 10^?6 K^?1 up to 20 × 10^?6 K^?1 in dependence on water content in the sample before measurement and on experimental conditions of measurement. Irreversible shrinkage of the polymer was the largest in the first thermal cycle. Water release exhibited a strong time and temperature dependence, and it was only partially reversible. The electrical conductivity was measured by a four-point van der Pauw method. Relative electrical conductivity decreased with amounts of water release. Relative decrease of electrical conductivity reached as far as 20% after evacuation 7 h at the room temperature.     

Multi-wavelength thermal lens spectrophotometer

A novel four-wavelength pump-probe configuration thermal lens spectrophotometer that is capable of simultaneously measuring thermal lens signals at four different wavelengths has been developed. The four excitation beams were derived from the same argon ion laser, which operated in a multi-line mode. The sample was sequentially excited by these four and the corresponding thermal lens signals were monitored by a He-Ne laser. Compared with other existing thermal lens apparatus, this four-color spectrophotometer has advantages that include its ability to provide identification of the analyte (as the ratios of the signals at four different excitation wavelengths) and to analyze simultaneously four-component samples without the need for any prior sample preparation. With this apparatus and with the use of 6-mW excitation beams modulated at 1.02 Hz, the detection limit for four-component samples is estimated to be about 10^?9 M, which is similar to the detection limit obtained for a one-component sample using a single-wavelength system.     

Measurement of thermal conductivity by differential scanning calorimetry

A technique of measurement of thermal conductivity of solid materials by differential scanning calorimetry is presented. It concerns small samples having a diameter less than 8.0 mm, a height less than 2.0 mm and a low thermal conductivity. This method requires many samples with different heights which are heated in such a way that a calibration substance put on their top undergoes a first-order phase transition. The analysis of heat transfer of a such experiment predicts that the slope of the differential power during the transition is proportional to the factor 2 and inversely proportional to the sum of the thermal resistances. A measurement of the thermal conductivity of samples made of polytetrafluoroethylene powder, compressed at the density of 2.10±0.03 g cm⁻³, has been performed; the value obtained is 0.33±0.02 W m⁻¹ K⁻¹. Measurements of thermal conductivity of small metal hydride pellets are also presented. The precision of the measurements are on average 10%.     

The thermal properties of monochloro-para-xylylene

The three thermal properties that describe the heat transfer in a material were determined for a thin, tough, transparent, highly crystalline film of poly-monochloro-para-xylylene (PCPX). These three properties, viz. thermal conductivity (K), thermal diffusivity (α), and specific heat (C_p) were determined using a transient heating method.The experimental method used involved the heating of a sample of stacked polymer sheets by an ultrathin heating foil. The heating foil, located in the center plane of the stack provided a source of constant heat flux when a current of known amperage was passed through it. By careful consideration of sample dimensions, the sample simulated an infinite solid. The thermal properties were calculated using standard solutions of the heat transfer equations of an infinite solid over a temperature range of ?192 to 130°C. The experimental method was repeated to check the reproducibility of the results and compared with differential scanning calorimeter results.A data acquisition system was developed to facilitate data handling for the transient experiments. The system included hardware capable of punching data on paper tape and a software package to analyze these data.The conclusions drawn include: (1) the reproducibility of the experiments was well within the experimental errors; (2) the data acquisition system greatly facilitates acquisition of thermal data; (3) an incremental change occurs in C_p of PCPX in the vicinity of the γ relaxation reported by dynamical relaxation measurements and its occurrence indicates that this relaxation involves a cooperative motion of molecules; (4) owing to the significant magnitude of the C_p jump and the appreciable degree of crystallinity of PCPX, these internal motions occurring at the γ transition probably involve both amorphous and crystalline regions; (5) a direct relationship between thermal expansion and specific heat was indicated in PCPX as well as for polystyrene (PS) at relatively low temperatures (?200 to ?20°C); (6) the overall low values of thermal conductivity (1.0 to 2.5 × 10^?4 cal sec^?1 cm^?1) and thermal diffusivity (9.5 to 5.3 × 10^?4 cm² sec^?1) of PCPX indicate that it is ideally suited for insulation applications.     

Gas-phase thermal decomposition of peroxy-N-butyryl nitrate

The gas-phase thermal decomposition rate of peroxy-n-butyryl nitrate (n-C₃H₇C(O)OONO₂, PnBN) has been measured at ambient temperature (296 K) and 1 atm of air relative to that of peroxyacetyl nitrate (CH₃C(O)OONO₂, PAN) using mixtures of PAN (14–19 ppb), PnBN (22–46 ppb), and nitric oxide (1.35–1.90 ppm). The PnBN/PAN decomposition rate ratio was 0.773 ± 0.030. This ratio, together with a literature value of 3.0 × 10^?4 s^?1 for the thermal decomposition rate of PAN at 296 K, yields a PnBN thermal decomposition rate of (2.32 ± 0.09) × 10^?4 s^?1. The results are briefly discussed by comparison with data for other peroxyacyl nitrates and with respect to the atmospheric persistence of PnBN. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Synthesis,characterization, and thermal studies of cardanol-based polyphosphate esters

Polyphosphate esters were synthesized from derivatives of cardanol phosphorodichloridateates and dihydric phenols by interfacial polycondensation using a phase transfer catalyst. The polymers were characterized by IR, ¹H-, ¹³C-, and ³¹P-NMR spectroscopy, and GPC. The thermal stability and thermal degradation kinetics of the polymers were determined by thermogravimetry. The flammability of the polymers was evaluated by limiting oxygen index values. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Temperature dependency of thermal conductivity of solid phases for fatty acids

Thermal conductivity variations with temperature of solid phases for lauric acid (LA), myristic acid (MA), pivalic acid (PA), and stearic acid (SA) have been measured with radial heat-flow method. Temperature dependencies of the thermal conductivity for same organic materials have been obtained by linear regression analysis. From graphs of thermal conductivity versus temperature, the thermal conductivity of solid phase at their melting temperature and temperature coefficients of thermal conductivity for LA, MA, PA, and SA have been found to be 0.37, 0.39, 0.23, and 0.35 W K^?1 m^?1 and 0.00935, 0.00446, 0.01095, and 0.00295 K^?1, respectively. The ratios of thermal conductivity of liquid phase to thermal conductivity of solid phase for LA, MA, PA, and SA have also been measured to be 0.52, 0.48, 0.25, and 0.59, respectively, with a Bridgman-type directional solidification apparatus.     

General remarks on the thermal decomposition of some drugs

The thermal decomposition of antituberculous, local anaesthetic and calcium salts of organic acids used as the drugs has been studied by differential thermal and thermogravimetric techniques. General characteristics of their thermal decomposition has been made. The effect of sample size over the range 20–200 mg and heating rate over the range 3–15 deg·min^?1 on the thermal degradation has been investigated. The values of the kinetic parameters has been also determined.     

Negative thermal expansion of a polydiacetylene single crystal

Macroscopic thermal expansion in the chain direction has been measured for the first time on organic polymeric single crystals. Negative linear thermal expansion coefficients αM are reported and related to chain torsional motion and equilibrium point-defect formation for a solid-state polymerized phase of 2,4-hexadiyne-1,6-diol bisphenylurethane (HDU) which contains crystallographically located interstitial dioxane and for a dioxanefree phase obtained by thermal annealing. Data for as-polymerized single crystals (which are probably of extended chain morphology) between ?50 and 100°C give αM = ?(1.686 ± 0.039) × 10^?5 ? (1.35 ± 0.18) × 10^?7 t with t in °C. During volatilization of 11.7 ± 1.0 wt-% interstitial dioxane and a resulting crystal structure change, the as-polymerized fibers fibrillate and shrink irreversibly by 0.16 ± 0.04%. Although dichroism and diffraction measurements indicate both a high degree of crystallinity and chain alignment for the dioxane-free phase, the average thermal expansion coefficient, (?3.0 ± 1.0) × 10^?6 °C^?1 between ?50 and 150°C, is about an order of magnitude less than for the as-polymerized single crystals.     

Chemistry and thermal decomposition of trinitropyrazoles

New energetic compounds-3,4,5-1H-trinitropyrazole (TNP), 1-methyl-3,4,5-1H-trinitropyrazole (MTNP) and ammonium 3,4,5-1H-TNP have been synthesized and characterized by thermal analysis. These new compounds can be considered as promising since the high heat of formation for them. To estimate the process of their thermal decomposition, the original technique for computer simulation was used. We generated the models for the mechanisms of thermal decay of synthesized compounds which allowed obtaining comprehensive spectrum of transformations of intermediates on the way to the final products of thermolysis. The preferred pathways were determined based on the results of activation energy (E _a) calculations (DFT 6-311⁺⁺G** method) of thermal decay reactions for each generated pathways. The thermal decomposition has been studied also experimentally by thermogravimetry (TG) and differential scanning calorimetry. Kinetic parameters of thermolysis were evaluated by model-free and -fitting methods using TG data. Model-free method has given not reliable data for TNP and MTNP compounds, whereas model-fitting yields kinetic equations with the good correlation with experimental TG data.     

Prediction of thermal explosion parameters for energetic materials on the basis of thermal analysis data

Results obtained in calculations of thermal ignition delay periods in a wide temperature range are in good agreement with published data for octogene samples in the form of a sphere 12.7 mm in diameter and cylindrical NEPE propellant samples with diameters of 20 to 80 mm. The kinetic parameters of the thermal decomposition of materials, used in the calculations, were obtained by the DSC method with the use of hermetically sealed crucibles and crucibles with perforated covers under a nitrogen pressure of 10 MPa at heating rates of 0.1 to 1.0 deg min^–1.     

Quantification of hindered phenols in polyamide 11 during thermal aging

Polyamide 11 films stabilized by Irganox^® 1098, Irganox^® 1010 or Irganox^® 245 were subjected to thermal oxidation at 110 °C. The residual phenol content was assessed by comparing three analytical methods: high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), determination of the Oxidation Induction Time (OIT) and Onset Oxidation Temperature (OOT) by thermal analyses. Both OIT and OOT are reliable for virgin PA11 after a relevant calibration by HPLC measurement. In the case of oxidized samples, OOT measurements have the benefits of being more easily interpretable than OIT and less time-consuming than HPLC measurements.     

Characteristics of the thermal decomposition of antituberculous drugs

The thermal decomposition of antituberculous drugs-ethambutol (base and dihydrochloride), isoniazid, ethionamid and pyrazinamid has been studied by DTA, TG and DTG techniques. General remarks have been made on their thermal destruction. The effect of sample size over the range 20–200 mg and heating rate over the range 3–15 deg·min^?1 on the thermal degradation has also been investigated. Moreover, based on the Kissinger’s equation, the values of the kinetic parameters were determined.