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Researchers at the University of Huddersfield have combined differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) with thermomicroscopy to reveal detailed energy changes in specific materials.

In this first ever study that uses DSC-thermomicroscopy to harness the benefits of analysing rubidium nitrate and polyethylene oxidation using both methods simultaneously, researchers  at the University of Huddersfield’s Thermal Methods Research Unit (TMRU) used the Optical DSC450 System from Linkam Scientific Instruments to obtain detailed information on the properties of a broad range of materials, including industrial polymers and pharmaceuticals.

Polymers play a critical role in saving energy and resources in applications such as healthcare, pharmaceuticals, and packaging materials production, and current research has a strong focus on their potential to support renewable energy technologies.ⁱ As the  pharmaceutical industry comes under increased pressure to bring new drugs to market  quickly and cost-effectively, managing a successful launch programme is growing in difficultyⁱⁱ – and the industry must continue to find new ways to optimise the drug discovery  and development process.

Thermal analysis methods such as thermomicroscopy allow researchers to closely observe  optical and physical transitions as a material progresses through a reaction or phase  change, ultimately enabling the optimisation of the materials in their end use. Coupling thermomicroscopy with DSC adds the possibility to measure energy changes during the  reaction simultaneously, on the same sample.

The research at TMRU used a Linkam heat flux DSC plate incorporated into a hot stage,  combined with a T96 temperature controller to study phase transitions in rubidium nitrate and polyethylene oxidation over a -150 to 450°C temperature range. The results demonstrated the benefits of obtaining simultaneous optical data – both images and light intensity measurements – with DSC, enabling the detection of small changes in enthalpy.ⁱⁱⁱ

Duncan Stacey, Sales and Marketing Director, Linkam Scientific Instruments commented:  “We are just at the start of discovering the potential of DSC combined with thermomicroscopy. Recent developments in high quality digital microscopes and improved computing power open up new and exciting potential for the in-depth study, via this method, of materials that are used in our everyday lives. By observing phase changes such as solid solid transitions, fusion reactions and decomposition, we can discover new ways to improve the performance and energy profile of materials in application.” 

Dr. Gareth Parkes, Reader in Forensic and Analytical Chemistry at TMRU added: “Understanding the way materials behave under different conditions and at carefully controlled temperatures helps optimise their use in different applications. Simultaneous  thermal analysis sheds new light on the complex thermal processes of certain materials, because the optical image helps interpret often complex DSC profiles through the ability to obtain optical and enthalpic information on a single sample.^iv 

“The Linkam DSC450’s precise temperature control, especially at low temperatures, has proven an excellent tool in our research. We are now moving forward to investigate whether the DSC450 can support the study of a material’s thermal conductivity by optical means, which opens up exciting new research potential.” 

REFERENCES

ⁱ Ganachari S.V. (2019) Polymers for Energy Applications. In: Martínez L., Kharissova O.,  Kharisov B. (eds) Handbook of Ecomaterials. Springer, Cham.

ⁱⁱ Ford, J., Elsner, N., Fezza, T., Arora, A.: Deloitte Insights: Key factors to improve drug launches,  March 2020.

ⁱⁱⁱ Ashton, G.P., Charsley, E.L., Harding, L.P. et al. Applications of a simultaneous differential scanning  calorimetry–thermomicroscopy system. J Therm Anal Calorim 147, 1345–1353 (2022).

^iv Ashton, G.P., Charsley, E.L., Harding, L.P. et al. Applications of a simultaneous differential scanning  calorimetry–thermomicroscopy system. J Therm Anal Calorim 147, 1345–1353 (2022).

About the Thermal Methods Research Unit at the University of Huddersfield 

The Thermal Methods Research Unit at the within the School of Applied Sciences at the  University of Huddersfield carries out research and collaborative projects using thermal  analysis, mass spectrometry and instrument development. The TMRU studies a wide range of materials, from polymers to metal oxides, across temperature ranges from sub-ambient to  above 1000oC.

About Linkam Scientific Instruments 

Linkam develops and manufactures a broad range of temperature and environmental control  stages for both OEMs and end users. From high to cryo temperatures as well as humidity, electrical connections, gas purging, vacuum and pressure, for enhanced sample analysis. Linkam stages are used with light microscopes and a wide range of analytical techniques including Raman, FTIR, WAX/SAX and many more to visualise and characterise the  properties of materials. Linkam stages are found in thousands of laboratories worldwide with the most successful microscope heating stage, the THMS600, selling over 6,000 units alone. Linkam is the market leader in temperature-controlled microscopy.

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