Why Knowledge About Anisotropy is Crucial when Designing High-Performance Composite Parts

Fiber-reinforced composite materials, which combine the properties of fibers and a polymer matrix, have been around for decades. There are different ways to incorporate the fiber into the thermoplastic matrix ‒ randomly oriented fibers, unidirectional continuous fibers or multi-directional fabric. The orientation of the added fibers plays an important part when it comes to part properties. Learn why anisotropic behavior of the composite is favorable and how to measure it with the TMA 402 F3 Hyperion^®® Polymer Edition.

What TMA Measurements Can Tell About Filler Orientation in Injection Molding

Fillers have long played an important role in the polymer manufacturing industry. An important property to measure how the filled material changes in length when being heated or cooled is the coefficient of thermal expansion. Knowledge about this material behavior is required to be able to determine important design values. Learn how the flow field and sample preparation influences the property and see how measurements with the TMA 402 F3 Hyperion^®® Polymer Edition are carried out.

Quality Control of Electronic Assemblies Using Thermomechanical Analysis

A major source of failure of electronic assemblies is thermal expansion and the problems it causes. To make sure that the circuit base boards conform to a certain quality, IPC standards were put into place that require measurement of the thermal expansion, glass transition and softening point. Learn how you can comply to the standard with the new TMA 402 F3 Hyperion^®® Polymer Edition.

Creating Intelligent Molds with the New sensXPERT^® Solution

Polymer processing with thermosets is the key to high-performance parts regarding mechanical strength and durability. However, the material causes many challenges in production. sensXPERT^® delivers a unique solution for processors in the polymer and polymer based composite field while combining sensors, material science and machine learning. Read about the importance of the partnership with AIRBUS to provide this solution.

Measuring Viscoelastic Properties of Fiber-Reinforced Epoxy

When it comes to the characterization of fiber reinforced composites with dynamic measuring techniques many options are available, but they all have pros and cons for different materials and applications. In their paper, Huayamares et al. set out to answer some relevant questions by comparing measurements in 3-point bending and torsion mode. We summarize the main findings of the scientific paper and explain the measurements as well as the corresponding interpretation of the results depending on the use case.

Detection of Ultra-Small Residual Masses: Weigh The Little Bird!

Thermogravimetry (TGA) is frequently applied for the compositional analyses of such materials as, for example, fiber-reinforced polymer composites. The residual mass at the end of a TGA experiment reflects the filler or glass fiber content as well as the presence of impurities. By using a relatively large sample volume in a top-performing thermobalance along with the intelligent Proteus^®® software by NETZSCH, it is possible to detect ultra-small residual masses with concentrations down to the ppm (= 10-6) range! Such small concentrations can be illustrated by a little bird with a mass of a few grams sitting on the back of an elephant weighing a few tons.

Lifetime Predictions Based on Climate Temperature Profiles

The Kinetics Neo software by NETZSCH allows for advanced analytics. Learn how to predict the decomposition behavior of materials under different climatic conditions and how to estimate thermal risks and hazards.

LFA Measurements with Graphite Coating: Tips and Tricks

Thermal conductivity and diffusivity are the most important thermophysical material parameters for the description of the heat transport properties of a material or component. Since the Laser Flash Analysis is an optical method that needs to eliminate reflection, special attention needs to be put on the sample preparation, for instance with a graphite coating. Learn in the video below why the way of coating a highly conductive sample depends on which material property is to be determined.

The New Home for Kinexus and Rosand Rheometers

NETZSCH Analyzing & Testing acquired the rheology product line, including a team of international specialists, from Malvern Panalytical in January 2020. We are very excited about the future of our new rheology products. Today, we are reaching out to all of our Kinexus and Rosand rheometer users to answer any questions you may have in this article.

NETZSCH Sets out Recommendations for Kinetic Analysis of Multi-Step Processes

During 16th ICTAC, it was decided to develop recommendations for the kinetic analysis of multi-step reactions. NETZSCH Analyzing & Testing is the only enterprise specialized in the development and production of commercial kinetics software that was invited to participate in this project to develop these recommendations. We are proud to announce that the recommendations are now available!