The Nafuma thermoanalysis laboratory is equipped with instruments providing high quality ThermoGravimetric Analysis (TGA) and Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) measurements. It contains three instruments supplied by Netzsch: the thermogravimeter TG209F1 Libra along with the Simultaneous Thermal Analysers (STA) STA449F1 Jupiter and STA449C Jupiter.
The simple principle of TGA is to heat up a sample placed on a sensitive weight to monitor the mass change of a sample undergoing reactions involving gas uptake or release. A sample can be studied under a wide range of atmospheres, or even vacuum. The STA combines the TG technique with one of two other complementary thermal analysis techniques that are also sensitive to transitions or processes not associated with a mass change. The first of these complementary techniques is Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), which is a quantitative technique for determining the enthalpy of a process taking place in the sample. The other, Differential Thermal Analysis (DTA), is a qualitative method for determining if a process occurring in the sample is exothermic or endothermic.
