Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Thermal Analysis As An Important Research Tool For Colleges And Universities, Jeffrey Allen Fruscella

ETD Archive

Three experiments were performed to demonstrate that thermal analysis is an important tool for use in colleges and universities for conducting scientific research. The first experiment used thermogravimetry, differential scanning calorimetry and thermal mechanical analysis to compare polymer resins from two ResinKits®, one from 1994 and the other from 2010. Analysis was done to determine if resins from the 1994 kit were viable standards. The experiments showed significant thermal differences between select resins and it was concluded that resins form the 1994 ResinKit® are no longer acceptable as standards.The second experiment used thermogravimetry and differential scanning calorimetry to determine the …