Are You in the Market for a... Thermal Analyzer?
Thermal analysis is the broad category of at least 20 techniques that measure some fundamental property of matter as a result of adding heat. For example, dilatometry measures volume changes upon heating, thermomechanical analysis quantifies the change in dimension of a sample as a function of temperature, and thermo-optical analysis detects changes in optical properties on heating or cooling.
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Trevor Henderson, PhD
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Trevor Henderson BSc (HK), MSc, PhD (c), is the creative services director at Lab Manager. He has more than two decades of experience in the fields of scientific...
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Top 6 Questions You Should Ask When Buying a Thermal Analyzer
- If you are going to be analyzing x,y,z properties, ask if the company has any customers conducting the same type of work and if you can talk to them.
- Ask if you can submit a sample for a demo using specified conditions and, if so, how long this will take and whether a report will be provided.
- What type of post-sale application and technical support does the company offer, and how much will it cost you?
- What features distinguish the company’s instrument from their competitors’?
- What can the company tell you about the quality of the product, i.e., how was it manufactured and tested? This will help you determine the typical lifespan.
- What can the vendor tell you about the total cost of ownership, including expected consumables, software upgrades, service, and warranty costs?
Material types tested by thermal analysis as reported by survey respondents
| Polymers | 28% |
| Organics such as lubricants, pharmaceuticals, paints, adhesives, etc. | 25% |
| Sulfuric AcidMinerals, inorganic chemicals, and other inorganics | 18% |
| Metals / Alloys | 12% |
| Ceramic / Glass / Building Materials | 9% |
| Other | 9% |
When asked how new workers were trained to perform thermal analysis, respondents replied as follows.
| They are trained by existing lab members | 69% |
| They are trained by a manufacturer's representative | 12% |
| They are trained by an in-house trainer | 4% |
| They are trained by an outsourced instructor | 3% |
| They learn it themselves | 12% |
Nearly 15% of respondents plan on purchasing a new thermal analyzer in the next year. The reasons for these purchases are as follows
 | Replacement of aging system |  |
 | First time purchase of a thermal analyzer | |
 | Addition to existing systems, increace capacity | |
 | Setting up a new lab |
Top 10 features/factors respondents look for when purchasing a microwave digester
| Reliability | 82% |
| Ease of Use | 72% |
| Safety | 63% |
| Service and Support | 63% |
| Low Maintenance/Easy to Clean | 56% |
| Price | 54% |
| Low Operating Cost of Ownership | 48% |
| Versatility | 45% |
| Warranty | 43% |
| Ease of Installation | 42% |
For more information on thermal analyzers, including useful articles and a list of manufacturers, visit www.labmanager.com/thermal-analyzers