Thermal analysis has proven to be one of the most important and meaningful test methods in the plastics industry and in testing laboratories. Although thermal analysis is used for fundamental studies related to materials science of polymers, its power lies in understanding this behavior during manufacturing processes. This understanding aids in process optimization, reduction of manufacturing cycle times, failure analysis as well as overall improvement of the material properties of the finished product, to name a few.

In this book, the different test methods and their variations are described in detail, emphasizing the principles and their application in practice. Using practical examples, different approaches to problem solving are presented with a focus on the interpretation of the experimental results.

Thermal analysis provides information on important properties of plastic materials, such as nucleation, crystallization, degree of crystallinity, recrystallization, melting and solidification, glass transition, curing and postcuring, thermal stability, thermal expansion, relaxation of orientation and internal stresses, pvT-data, and others.

This book is a must for everybody involved in material and product development, testing, processing, quality assurance, or failure analysis in industry and laboratories.