This book is about thermal analysis as applied to polymers. It is organized by
thermal analysis techniques and thus contains chapters on the core techniques
of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA),
thermomechanical analysis (TMA), and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA).
Although it can be argued that dielectric analysis (DEA) is more frequency
than temperature oriented, we decided to include it because we believe it is
an integral part of the thermal analysis of polymers. And we felt that it was
necessary to include micro/nano - TA ( μ /n - TA) because we believe that with
the ever increasing ability to probe the macromolecular size scale, this fi eld
will become increasingly more important in the characterization and development
of new materials. Each chapter describes the basic principles of the
respective techniques, calibration, how to perform an experiment, applications
to polymeric materials, instrumentation, and its own list of symbols and
acronyms & abbreviations. Several examples are given where thermal analysis
was instrumental in solving industrial problems.