The challenge for all material manufacturers is ensuring that the final product meets a consistent physical standard. If the formulation and curing process isn’t carefully monitored, or the storage environment properly controlled, then the product performance will be degraded.
Dynamic Mechanical Analysis (DMA) measures the mechanical and viscoelastic properties of materials such as thermoplastics, thermosets and composites. The sample is subjected to a periodic stress in one of several different modes of deformation. The force, displacement amplitudes and phase shift are analysed as a function of temperature, time and frequency.
“Our state-of-the-art DMA/SDTA 1+ instrument delivers the most accurate modulus measurement available. Simplified external sample preparation plus true force measurement sets new standards in materials characterisation. A video of the new DMA/SDTA 1+ in action is available on our website,” states Marketing Manager, Shona Farmer.
Also new from Mettler Toledo, the latest STARe V15 Thermal Analysis Software is packed with exciting new possibilities and a state-of-the-art interface. The new Reference Library function allows users to create their own libraries or expand the free polymer library containing 50 different types of polymers. Any current measurements can easily be compared with reference data for identification or companies can also search for materials with properties.
The STARe software supports an unlimited number of reference libraries and users can keep thermoplastics, elastomers, thermosets, foodstuffs, pharmaceuticals and chemicals libraries side-by-side. New reference evaluation results can be integrated into the library with just a single mouse click.
Shona Farmer concludes: “The search process is incredibly easy allowing anyone to determine which results they want to use in the future. You can even add your own columns for text or fields for documents such as PDFs or photos.”