Thermogravimetric analyzers (TGA) seem simple — just measuring the sample’s weight change as it heats up — but in reality, TGA methodology is far more complex than simply "heating from room temperature to 1000℃." The following seven methods cover most new material analysis scenarios.

1. Conventional heating: Heat in an inert atmosphere at 10-20℃/min to determine decomposition temperature and residue content. This is the most common TGA mode.

2. Atmosphere switching: First heat in N₂ to decompose the organic matrix, then switch to air/O₂ so that carbon black or carbon fibers burn — this is the standard for accurately determining carbon black and glass fiber content.

3. Isothermal method: Monitor weight changes over time at a constant temperature to evaluate thermal-oxidative stability at a specific temperature.

4. Hi-Res TGA (High-Resolution TGA): Dynamically adjust the heating rate according to the decomposition rate, suitable for analyzing components with close decomposition temperatures.

5. Moisture/volatiles analysis: Measure moisture or volatile content at a constant, lower temperature.

6. TGA-FTIR/GC-MS coupling: Direct TGA decomposition gases into FTIR or GC-MS to identify the chemical composition corresponding to each weight loss in real time.

7. Kinetic analysis: Use TGA data at different heating rates and apply Kissinger or Flynn-Wall-Ozawa methods to calculate the activation energy of decomposition and predict long-term thermal stability.

Dehuisci (www.dehuisci.com) distributes TA Instruments and Mettler Toledo TGA product lines. Phone: 0512-67071902.