Resin content of a composite is often measured using microscopy. Is there a study on comparing results of resin content using microscopy as opposed to TGA?
Dear Salwan, Compositional analysis based on microscopy utilizes the relative areas of the two components (dimensionality should be taken into account, see stereology), which may give information about the volume fraction which can be converted into mass fraction if the densities are known. TGA can be well used for filler mass fraction determination if and only if the resin part is completely decomposed WITHOUT char formation. For example in rubbers the polymer part is determined by thermal decomposition in inert gas, then the atmosphere is changed to oxidative, allowing the measurement of carbonaceous filler and the residue is the mineral additive. This method does not work with silicone rubber, however, as the matrix resin partly decomposes into silica, which is also a filler. So, in summary, one has to check the decomposition of the pure resin too under identical conditions. Even so problems may arise if the presence of the filler changes the mechanism of thermal decomposition. If you want to use TGA routinely for this purpose you should prepare a series of calibration samples.
Dear Salwan, Compositional analysis based on microscopy utilizes the relative areas of the two components (dimensionality should be taken into account, see stereology), which may give information about the volume fraction which can be converted into mass fraction if the densities are known. TGA can be well used for filler mass fraction determination if and only if the resin part is completely decomposed WITHOUT char formation. For example in rubbers the polymer part is determined by thermal decomposition in inert gas, then the atmosphere is changed to oxidative, allowing the measurement of carbonaceous filler and the residue is the mineral additive. This method does not work with silicone rubber, however, as the matrix resin partly decomposes into silica, which is also a filler. So, in summary, one has to check the decomposition of the pure resin too under identical conditions. Even so problems may arise if the presence of the filler changes the mechanism of thermal decomposition. If you want to use TGA routinely for this purpose you should prepare a series of calibration samples.
If the filler is inorganic and polymer is organic, polymer would degrade first and the rest of the sample percentage can be attributed as inorganic filler content
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