Thermal analysis is a branch of material science that studies how a material’s properties change with temperature. From safe medicines to durable airplanes, countless products are made possible through thermal analysis. Understanding a material’s behavior under different temperatures is crucial for the successful design, processing, end use, and recyclability of completed products.
Dynamic Mechanical Analysis (DMA) is a thermal analysis technique used to measure the mechanical properties of materials as they are deformed under periodic stress. DMA is commonly used to determine the viscoelastic behavior of polymers, composites, and other materials.
Do your patients worry about their replacement hip breaking when they run? Or how long their prosthetic leg will last before needing a new one? Are your regulatory submissions requiring increasingly more lifetime testing?
From plastic for medical devices to rubber for tires, the materials we use must meet increasingly high demands. Product manufacturers and consumers expect their materials to look good, perform well, and cost less, all while being environmentally friendly. Fulfilling all these expectations requires deep understanding of material behavior from the molecular level to real world mechanical properties. Since there are many factors that affect the properties of materials, precise measurement tools and methods are required to ensure that materials fulfill the high expectations of our world. A key measurement and analysis method to evaluate the properties of materials at various stages of development and production is Dynamic Mechanical Analysis (DMA).