Obtaining Modulated Temperature DSC Curves Through a Non-conventional DSC Method

The DSC curve obtained in conventional equipment usually only shows the resultant thermal effect due to simultaneous phenomena, which may occur during isothermal or dynamic analyses. This does not allow one to identify the processes properly and may cause an erroneous interpretation of the resulting curves. Modulated DSC equipment enhances the operating conditions and the analysis capacity of conventional DSC by superimposing a sinusoidal temperature modulation on the linear temperature control. Thus reversing and non-reversing heat flow curves are obtained, which are, respectively, the heat capacity and kinetic components of the DSC curve. Therefore, events that are related to these components can be separately analyzed. A method to obtain curves similar to the MDSC reversing and non-reversing components was developed using conventional DSC equipment in a non-conventional way. It was applied to analyze samples of poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) taken from bottles of mineral water. The second PET crystallization step that occurs during its melting was quantified and an apparent initial crystallinity was obtained from the resulting data. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Modulated temperature DSC measurements relating to the cold crystallization process of poly(ethylene terephtalate)

The modulated temperature differential scanning calorimetric method (MT-DSC) yields three temperature dependent signals, an underlying heat capacity curve from the underlying heat flow rate (corresponding to the conventional DSC signal), and a complex heat capacity curve with a real part (storage heat capacity) and an imaginary part (loss heat capacity). These curves have been measured in the cold crystallization region for poly(ethylene terephtalate) with a modified Perkin-Elmer DSC-7. The underlying curve shows the well known large exothermic crystallization peak. The storage heat capacity shows a step change which reproduces the change in heat capacity during crystallization. This curve may be used as baseline, to separate the crystallization heat flow rate from the underlying heat flow rate curve. The loss heat capacity curve exhibits a small exothermic peak at the temperature of the step change of the storage curve. It could be caused by changes of the molecular mobility during crystallization.Dedicated to Professor Wunderlich on the occasion of his 65th birthday     

Heat capacity measurement by modulated DSC at constant temperature

The mathematical equations for step-wise measurement of heat capacity (C _p ) by modulated differential scanning calorimetry (MDSC) are discussed for the conditions of negligible temperature gradients within sample and reference. Using a commercial MDSC, applications are evaluated and the limits explored. This new technique permits the determination ofC _p by keeping the sample continually close to equilibrium, a condition conventional DSC is unable to meet. Heat capacity is measured at ‘practically isothermal condition’ (often changing not more than ±1 K). The method provides data with good precision. The effects of sample mass, amplitude and frequency of temperature modulation were studied and methods for optimizing the instrument are proposed. The correction for the differences in sample and reference heating rates, needed for high-precision data by standard DSC, do not apply for this method. Presented in preliminary from at the 22nd NATAS Conference in Denver, CO 9/19-22/93 (Proceedings, pages 59–64, editor K. R. Williams).     

On the determination of the melting point of semicrystalline polymer by DSC

This is a study for criteria to judge the melting point of semi-crystalline polymers from the DSC endotherm for polymer melting. Beyond standard indium DSC melting results an evaluation has been made on a series of polyethylenes for which crystal sizes were measured and predicted from Raman LAM analysis. The results confirm the conclusion of Prof. Wunderlich that the DSC content of melting is the proper basis of reporting melting points.Dedicated to Professor Bernhard Wunderlich on the occasion of his 65th birthday     

Experimental investigation into the heat capacity measurement using an modulated DSC

Experiments using a commercial modulated DSC (MDSC) for the measurement of specific heat capacity of a sample have been carried out. It is found that because the amplitude of heat flow of MDSC is a complicated non-linear function of various experimental conditions such as the modulation frequency and the heat capacities of a sample and pan, the methodology of heat capacity determination using an MDSC in a single run has not been justified. The experimental results, on the other hand, agree with the theoretical equation of one of the authors. It is therefore concluded that the capabilities of MDSC should be further examined.     

Non isothermal heat capacities and chemical reactions using a modulated DSC

An evaluation of measurements of heat capacities by modulated differential scanning calorimetry, MDSC is presented. Heat capacities were obtained from 130 to 550 K by a non isothermal technique in which a periodic modulation was added to the linear heating rate. Effects of amplitude and period of modulation, sample weight, sample type, pan type, and cell imbalance are described. Results are compared with those obtained using the isothermal technique. Heat capacity could be measured well into the decomposition region and separated from the non reversing signal due to chemical reaction (degradation), thus allowing a precise detection of onsets of the thermal degradation. This additional information will aid in the interpretation of the degradation chemistry, a field vital for the petroleum-industry.Dedicated to Professor Bernhard Wunderlich on the occasion of his 65th birthdayPart of this paper was presented at the 23rd Conference of the North American Thermal Analysis Society, Toronto, Canada, September 25–28, 1994.The author (MVN) acknowledges the experimental assistance provided by J. Balogh of Exxon Research and Engineering Company, Linden. Helpful discussions with A. Boller of the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, Dr. Y. Jin, General Electrical, and Dr. S. Sauerbrunn formerly of TA Instruments are also acknowledged.     

The Influence of Drawing in Hot Water on The Morphological Properties of Pet Films as Measured by DSC and Modulated DSC

PET films uniaxially drawn in hot water are studied by means of conventional DSC and modulated DSC (MDSC).Glass transition is studied by MDSC which allows to access the glass transition temperature T _g and the variations of ΔC _p=C _p1−C _pg (difference between thermal capacity in the liquid-like and glassy states at T=T _g). Variations of T _g with the water content (which act as plasticizer) and with the drawing (which rigidifies the amorphous phase) are discussed with regard to the structure engaged in these materials. The increments of ΔC _p at T _g are also interpreted using a three phases model and the 'strong-fragile’ glass former liquid concept. We show that the ‘fragility’ of the medium increases due to the conjugated effects of deformation and water sorption as soon as a strain induced crystalline phase is obtained. Then, ‘fragility’ decreases drastically with the occurring rigid amorphous phase. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Comparison of simulated and actual DSC measurements for first-order transitions

A system of differential equations modeling a heat flux DSC is solved and the results are compared with those obtained using a TA Instruments Q1000™ DSC.¹ It incorporates a new heat flow rate measurement technique that determines the heat flow rate between the sample and its pan. Two types of first-order transitions are investigated: melting of a pure substance and solidification of a pure substance including super-cooling. In both transitions, the peak shape obtained using the new heat flow rate measurement and predicted by the model is quite different from that measured using conventional DSC. It is shown that the differences are the result of simplifications implicit in the conventional heat flow rate measurement that is based solely on the difference between sample and reference calorimeter temperatures. Heat flow rates measured using the improved measurement agree very well with the model predictions for heat exchange between the sample and its pan.     

Thermal analysis of poly(2-methylpentamethylene terephthalamide)

Poly(2-methylpentamethylene terephthalamide) (Nylon M5T) is a new high temperature aromatic polyamide developed by Hoechst Celanese. In this paper thermal properties of Nylon M5T chips, as well as as-spun and drawn fibers were studied by DSC, DMA, hot stage microscopy and WAXS.T _g of the fully amorphous Nylon M5T is 143°C when measured by DSC;T _g increases with crystallinity to 151°C. The temperature dependence of the solid and melt specific heat capacities has also been determined. The heat capacity increase at the glass transition of the amorphous polymer is 103.9 J °C^–1 mol^–1.T _g by DMA for the as-spun fiber is 155°C, for a drawn fiber is 180°C. Three secondary transitions were observed by DMA in addition to the glass transition. These correspond to a local mode relaxation of the methylene groups at –120°C, onset of rotation of the amide-groups at –65°C and the onset of the rotation of the phenylenegroups (at 63°C). The crystallinity of Nylon M5T strongly depends on the rate of cooling from the melt. The isothermal crystallization data are melt temperature dependent: two-dimensional crystallization takes place when the samples are crystallized from higher melt temperatures, and this phase changes into a spherulitic structure during cooling to room temperature. Spherulitic crystallization occurs when lower melt temperatures are used. This polymer has three crystal forms as indicated by DSC, DMA and WAXS data. The crystal to crystal transitions are clearly visible when amorphous samples are heated in the DSC, or the DMA curves of as-spun fibers are recorded. It is experimentally shown that a considerable melting of the lower temperature crystal forms takes place during the crystal to crystal transitions. The equilibrium melting point as measured by the Hoffman-Weeks method, has been determined to be 339°C.Dedicated to Professor Bernhard Wunderlich on the occasion of his 65th birthday     

Temperature modulated calorimetry and dielectric spectroscopy in the glass transition region of polymers

The results from temperature modulated DSC in the glass transition region of amorphous and semicrystalline polymers are described with the linear response approach. The real and the imaginary part of the complex heat capacity are discussed. The findings are compared with those of dielectric spectroscopy. The frequency dependent glass transition temperature can be fitted with a VFT-equation. The transition frequencies are decreased by 0.5 to 1 orders of magnitude compared to dielectric measurements. Cooling rates from standard DSC are transformed into frequencies. The glass transition temperatures are also approximated by the VFT-fit from the temperature modulated measurements. The differences in the shape of the curves from amorphous and semicrystalline samples are discussed.Dedicated to Professor Bernhard Wunderlich on the occasion of his 65th birthday     

The utility of phase correction in modulated DSC

Traditionally, Modulated DSC (MDSC^®) [1] has been used to simultaneously measure the heat capacity and heat flow of a sample in a single experiment. As first proposed by Readinget at. in 1992 [2], this complex heat capacity signal (C_p ^*) can be further deconvoluted into components which are in-phase (C_p) or out-of phase (C_p with the imposed temperature modulation. The vector sum of these components, respectively termed the reversing C_p and kinetic C_p, is equal to the aforementioned complex C_p (C_p ^*).Recent research has centered around the analysis of these signals and their inclusion into MDSC experiments. For most polymer systems, the contribution of the kinetic C_p is negligible, except at the melt. This signal does contain a small peak at the T_g of PET, but the significance of this peak is to date not clear. Examples of further applications will be presented and discussed, as well as the derivation and interpretation of novel MDSC signals.     

差示扫描量热仪测定比热容方法的改进

对用常规热流型DSC仪测量物质比热容时的两个误差来源,即实际的升温速率偏离了程序设定的升温速率以及试样铝盘与参比铝盘两者质量的差异造成的影响进行数学分析,导出了计算比热容的改正方程.此方程的第一项HFT为实验热流值与实际升温速率的比值,第二项为测试过程中由于样品盘与参比盘的质量不同所引起的修正项,从而提高了测量结果的精确度.用此方法测量水、苯甲酸和氯化钾的比热容均得到较好的结果.     

Enzymatic Hydrolysis of Soy Protein Isolates. DSC study

The aim of this work was to analyze the possible use of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) as a method to study the process of protein modifications during enzymatic hydrolysis. Results of the enzymatic hydrolysis of soy protein showed significant differences in the values of maximum deflection temperature (T _p), heat of reaction (ΔH), and width at half peak height (ΔT _1/2), between DSC curves corresponding to the substrate, or zerotime of hydrolysis, and those of the hydrolysates obtained by the action of cucurbita and pomiferin enzymes. DSC curve changes mentioned were explained by the use of gel-filtration chromatography, denaturing electrophoresis and surface hydrophobicity of the hydrolysis products obtained at 30 min of reaction. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

TOPEM,a new temperature modulated DSC technique

TOPEM is a new temperature modulated DSC technique, introduced by Mettler-Toledo in late 2005, in which stochastic temperature modulations are superimposed on the underlying rate of a conventional DSC scan. These modulations consist of temperature pulses, of fixed magnitude and alternating sign, with random durations within limits specified by the user. The resulting heat flow signal is analysed by a parameter estimation method which yields a so-called ‘quasi-static’ specific heat capacity and a ‘dynamic’ specific heat capacity over a range of frequencies. In a single scan it is thus possible to distinguish frequency-dependent phenomena from frequency-independent phenomena. Its application to the glass transition is examined here.     

DSC by the TGA/SDTA851e Considering Mass Changes

DSC measurements in open pans are often disturbed by mass losses such as sublimation during melting or release of water during chemical reactions. By simultaneous DSC and TG measurements the DSC signal can be corrected. For this purpose, a temperature dependent calibration function has to be determined by which the SDTA signal from the TGA/SDTA851^e measuring cell can be converted into a heat flow curve (DSC). By this procedure, accurate heat of melting can be determined despite ongoing sublimation in open pans. This method is illustrated with reference of the melting of anthracene. Additionally, condensation reactions were investigated and analyzed by DSC/TG even under ambient pressure, knowing the heat of evaporation. Using phenol formaldehyde resins the influence of the presence or the release of volatile reaction products on the reaction rate and kinetic parameters were studied. In general, the method can be used to correct DSC curves for thermal effects related to mass change. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Calibration coefficient of a heat-flow DSC; Part II. Optimal calibration procedure

One-point (Mettler) and many-point (Netzsch) heat flow calibration of a DSC is discussed. It is shown that the two types of calibration are the alternative extremes between quick but rough procedure and time-consuming but accurate one. One-point calibration compares a typical function k(T) at the melting point of indium with the measured value for particular DSC and multiplies k(T) by a scaling factor. Many-point calibration is based on general mathematical procedure, namely fitting a set of experimental values of sensitivity to a polynomial. The polynomial coefficients are evaluated by the method of least squares. Based on the relationship between the sensitivity of a thermocouple and calibration coefficient of a DSC sensor made from it, two-point heat flow calibration is suggested. This is an optimal calibration procedure, for the relationship contains only two unknown coefficients. An example of how to perform the two-point calibration with Netzsch-Proteus Software is described in the Appendix.     

Estimating the reversing and non‐reversing heat flow from standard DSC curves in the glass transition region

A mathematical model for the total heat flow obtained in differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) experiments from polymers with enthalpic relaxation is proposed. It is limited to the glass transition and enthalpic relaxation range of temperature and to the cases where the enthalpic relaxation is the only non‐reversing process taking place. The model consists of a mixture of functions representing the heat capacity heat flow of the glassy and non‐glassy fractions, the glass transition progress and the enthalpic relaxation heat flow. Optimal fittings of the model were performed on the experimental total heat flow data, obtained from two thermoplastics with different aging times. Considering which functions of the mixture represent reversing and non‐reversing processes, the reversing and non‐reversing heat flows were also estimated. The estimated reversing and non‐reversing signals were compared with the ones obtained by modulation. On the whole a good match was found, which was even better considering that the estimates are not affected by the frequency effect of the modulated temperature DSC (MTDSC) measurements. The model assumes linear trends for the heat capacity heat flow of the glassy and non‐glassy structures. The glass transition progress is represented by a generalized logistic function and the enthalpic relaxation heat flow by the first derivative of another generalized logistic. It brings about a new approach to these phenomena, where the parameters of these functions represent the temperature at which each event is centered, the change of heat capacity (C_p) at the glass transition and the energy involved in the enthalpic recovery. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Detection of compatibility of some rubber blends by DSC

The compatibility of some technically important polymer blends, namely BR/NR, NR/NBR and CR/NBR, has been investigated using the DSC method. In addition, dynamic mechanical measurements have been carried out for the NR/NBR blends over the frequency range of 10^–4 Hz –200 Hz and temperatures ranging from –70 to +70°C.The results obtained show that the three rubber blends are not compatible over the entire composition range as proven by the DSC and mechanical measurements. By analyzing the heat capacity increases at the glass transitions of the separate phases in the NR/BR blend, it was possible to suggest the presence of a limited compatibility at the boundaries of the two phases.By comparing this work with prior measurements, it was possible to conclude that the calorimetric method is a more efficient tool for the study of compatibility of polymer blends when compared to ultrasonic and viscosity methods.Furthermore, it was found that polymers that show compatibility when measured with an ultrasonic method could behave compatible, semicompatible or incompatible when analyzed by DSC. On the other hand, blends that show incompatibility by the ultrasonic method are always incompatible by the DSC method.Dedicated to Professor Wunderlich on the occasion of his 65th birthdayWe are grateful to Prof. Dr. W. Pechhold for stimulating and promoting this work and thanks due to colleagues at the Department of Applied Physics and Section of Calorimetry, Ulm University for their valuable help. Thanks are also extended to Alexander von Humboldt Foundation for supporting the residence of A. A. Yehia in Ulm, which gave the starting impulse to this work. A. Mansour. would like to thank the USAID for supplying the PL-DSC to the Chemistry Dept., Cairo University.     

Application of the light heating dynamic DSC to polymeric materials

Light heating dynamic DSC was used to study the melting transition of polyethylene. The results show that melting and crystallization are different phenomena from each other in terms of the complex heat capacity. Frequency dependence of the complex heat capacity was examined from 0.01 Hz to 0.2 Hz. It is found that at the lowest frequency the phase of the complex heat capacity exceeds /2 radians. Thermodynamic considerations were made for the large phase of the complex heat capacity.     

Modulated differential scanning calorimetry

Modulated DSC^TM (MDSC) is a new, patent-pending extension to conventional DSC which provides information about the reversing and nonreversing characteristics of thermal events, as well as the ability to directly measure heat capacity. This additional information aids interpretation and allows unique insights into the structure and behaviour of materials., A number of examples of its use are described.