Dynamic Mechanical Analyzers

Dynamic Mechanical Analyzers (DMA) measure the mechanical properties of materials as a function of time, temperature, and frequency. In addition to quantifying viscoelastic properties of materials, DMA can also quantify finished component and product characteristics, reflecting the important contribution that processing has on end-use product performance. DMA is commonly used to measure glass transition temperatures (Tg) and secondary transitions, orientation caused by processing, cold crystallization, cure optimization, filler effects in composites, and much more. DMA provides an accurate measure of material modulus and product stiffness plus other important mechanical properties such as damping, creep, and stress relaxation.A Dynamic Mechanical Analyzer is a mechanical instrument that applies specific displacement or force to a sample and very accurately quantifies its force versus displacement response. Its measurements extend beyond simply quantifying the magnitude of force divided by the displacement magnitude; it accurately calculates the phase relationship between the signals. This enables a DMA instrument to quantify the elastic (spring-like) versus viscous (fluid-like) components of the sample response which is crucial for reliable and complete viscoelastic property characterization such as Storage Modulus, Loss Modulus, and Tan delta. These viscoelastic properties are almost always evaluated over a range of temperatures, using oven and cooling accessories, which then can provide many insights into structure-property relationships and how materials perform at different use temperatures. Some advanced methods include TTS (Time-Temperature Superposition), curing studies, creep-recovery, and stress-relaxation analysis.