A kinetic method in simultaneous thermal analysis

Abstract

Ordinarily, Thermogravimetry (TG) or Differential Thermal Analysis (DTA) or Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) can describe only the change of α or △T or q with T(t), and Simultaneous Thermal Analysis (STA) provides two curves, (α∼ T(t) curve and △T or q∼ T(t) curve, in a single test (T is temperature; q is the heat flow; t is time). This work proposes a Simultaneous Kinetic Method, or simply SKM method aimed at STA tests. In the SKM method, the values of the activation energy (E) and reaction mechanism function can be calculated and determined by a trial and error method using the differential kinetic equation. When the values of α_m at the different heating rate are different, for example the heat degradation of polyamide 6 (PA6), the SKM method provides a more accurate activation energy than that calculated by the Kissinger equation.