Thermal analysis is typically applied during the development of polymer and electronics materials to characterize new materials and validate the performance of existing ones.
With a wide range of techniques on offer, key characteristics such as glass transition, thermal expansion, shrinkage, softening points and crystallization temperatures can be rapidly determined with reasonable accuracy before the material is used within its final application.
Therefore, thermal analysis instruments are not integral to the materials development process for several companies working with polymer technology.
Hitachi’s extensive range of thermal analyzers, including the TMA7100, DMA7100, NEXTA STA and NEXTA DSC, have been developed with the accuracy and sensitivity required for materials development in mind while ensuring reliability and ease of use for everyday production quality control.
Image Credit: Hitachi High-Tech Analytical Science
Using the Hitachi TMA7100 to Accelerate LCP Development
Ningo Jujia, based in China, is a company that specializes in the design and production of liquid crystal polymer products (LCP). The LCP films the company develops are often used in demanding application scenarios such as 5G mobile phones and aircraft.
It is, therefore, crucial to establish the fundamental characteristics of the LCP film; for instance, will the film contract, expand, or otherwise distort over the normal internal temperatures and physical shocks a mobile phone potentially encounters over a prolonged period of use.
“By using the TMA7100 we have significantly shortened our development cycle and delivered qualified products to our customers ahead of schedule.”
Of central importance to the performance of a polymer, film performance is the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE), and Jujia’s demand to measure this characteristic is at the heart of its materials development.
Thermomechanical analysis (TMA) is the method generally applied for CTE measurements. After conducting an investigation into a number of different TMA instruments, Jujia settled on Hitachi’s TMA7100 thermomechanical analyzer owing to its precision, accuracy, and sensitivity as a result of its ultra-low noise over a wide temperature range.
“The stable performance of Hitachi’s products and the professional service of the team made us choose their product. Prior to the introduction of Hitachi’s TMA7100 equipment, we did not have valid data to guide the development and improvement of CTE of LCP films. By using Hitachi’s equipment, we soon made a breakthrough in development and delivered qualified products to our customers.”
To discover more about how a thermal analyzer could speed up materials development, contact Hitachi today.
This information has been sourced, reviewed and adapted from materials provided by Hitachi High-Tech Analytical Science.
For more information on this source, please visit Hitachi High-Tech Analytical Science.