Thermal Analysis: Techniques and Applications

This lecture covers the thermal analysis techniques, focusing on thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential thermal analysis (DTA). TGA is used to measure mass changes in samples with temperature variations, allowing the study of material porosity, decomposition, and gas reactions. DTA measures temperature differences between a sample and a reference, highlighting phase changes in materials. Additionally, the lecture introduces the differential scanning calorimetry (DFC) technique, which quantitatively calculates enthalpy changes in materials by measuring the energy required to maintain samples at the same temperature. Practical applications of these techniques, such as CO2 adsorption studies in porous materials, are also discussed.