TA Instruments TMA 2940 CE, Руководство оператора, Страница: 77 / 178

TA I
NSTRUMENTS
TMA 2940 CE 3–13
Sample Preparation
and Loading
Sample Preparation
Samples used for penetration and expansion
studies should have the following characteristics:
• They should be as flat as possible, with
parallel ends, to ensure stable placement on
the stage.
• They should be long enough (5 to 10 mm
for most materials) for adequate resolution,
although you should keep in mind that large
samples may experience temperature
gradients during high heating rates.
• Thermoplastic samples can be heated and
formed into suitable specimens and then
cooled; however, this process may change
important thermal history.
Sample Loading
After your sample has been prepared, follow
these steps to load it on the TMA 2940 CE:
1. Raise the furnace, and rotate it clockwise to
move it off to the side.
2. Remove any previously run samples from
the stage, and ensure that no residue re-
mains.
3. Press
ZERO LENGTH
on the keypad to
provide a zero reference point.
4. Open (raise) the probe. (Press
PROBE
▲
key twice).
Running a TMA Experiment