Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA)

Non-microscopic Characterization
Category General
Difficulty Level Normal
Audience Level General
Description Optical microscopy, Scanning probe microscopy and Electron microscopy are known as microscopic techniques. Other methods such as Spectrophotometry, Chromatography, BET and etc. are classified as non-microscopic characterization. Non-microscopic characterization is incorporated in this course.
Overview
The term “non-microscopic” is used when Optical microscopy, Scanning probe microscopy and Electron microscopy are not used to determine materials’ quantity and quality. Pieces of information such as what element and how much of it are in a component, specific surface area and etc. are determined using non-microscopic methods.


Booklet
Description
 After a brief introduction, it gives some basics of thermal analysis methods, including Dilatometry, DTA, DSC, …. Then it introduces TGA as the most important and pragmatic TA method. It then gives some information on TGA. Afterwards, it talks about calibration, application, disadvantages, buoyancy correction, and TA plots. Finally it gives some parameters including heating rateand finishes with a conclusion.
Mental Challenge
 Why is TGA method so unique between other TA methods?
Quizzes and Activities
 Activity: Explain why by increasing the mass of the sample, its temperature change deviates from linear state. 
Further Reading Sources
 1.https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/materials-science/thermogravimetric-analysis