Thermal analysis is a very useful tool for the analysis of various compounds. Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) gives information about phase changes and chemical reactions. Especially the Chip-DSC is a powerful tool to identify and evaluate polymers.
ABS, the short form of acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene, is a very common copolymer. In practice, it is used due to its advanced hardness, gloss, toughness and electrical insulation properties. It is well known for its use for LEGO ™, 3D printing and many other applications because it is easy to machine.
In thermal analysis, it is often characterized by its glass transition at ~ 100 ° C. The glass transition temperature is influenced by the amount of monomers used. The proof of Tg is therefore a good way to evaluate the quality of the raw materials. In this example, two different ABS samples were measured by Chip-DSC 1 with a heating rate of 25K/min. Both curve show the first heating cycle and in both cases, the typical glass transition of ABS can be identified at around 100°C.
