Differential Thermal Analysis
Differential Thermal Analysis – (Also DTA) – One of the methods used to study the
thermal properties of energetic materials. DTA is a technique in which the difference
in temperature between a sample and an inert reference substance is measured, as the
two specimens are subjected to an identical temperature program. If the test sample
generates heat, its temperature will be higher than the reference sample. If the sample
absorbs heat, its temperature will be lower than the reference sample. During the
temperature program, the specimens are most often heated at a constant rate (typically
ranging from 2 to 20°C per minute) or held at constant temperature (isothermal). One
of the advantages of the DTA technique is that the instrument design can be made
relatively robust so that much higher temperature than that achievable in differential
scanning calorimetry can be attained (typically 1400-1500°C). A schematic diagram
of a typical DTA apparatus is shown in Fig. 1, below.
Fig. 1 Schematic diagram of a typical DTA instrument.