Adapting a thermobalance to constrained rate thermogravimetry

Abstract

A thermobalance has been converted to allow interactive control of the heating rate from the rate of mass loss of the sample (Constrained Rate Thermogravimetry). The interfacing of the balance and temperature controller both to an ACORN RISC microcomputer and to a PC microcomputer is described along with an outline of the software required. This provides an economic route for the conversion of existing thermobalances. Problems of achieving effective control and acceptable data recording are outlined. The nature of the TG curves obtained from interactive temperature control and the influence of control parameters is discussed.