TA Products and Markets
Thermal Analysis, Rheometry and Calorimetry
Thermal analysis measures the physical
or thermodynamic characteristics of materials as a function of temperature. Changes in temperature affect several characteristics of materials, such as their heat flow characteristics, physical state, weight, dimension and mechanical and electrical
properties, which may be measured by one or more thermal analysis techniques, including calorimetry. Consequently, thermal analysis techniques are widely used in the development, production and characterization of materials in various industries,
such as plastics, chemicals, automobiles, pharmaceuticals and electronics.
Rheometry instruments often complement thermal
analyzers in characterizing materials. Rheometry characterizes the flow properties of materials and measures their viscosity, elasticity and deformation under different types of loading or other conditions. The information obtained under
such conditions provides insight into a materials behavior during processing, packaging, transport, usage and storage.
Thermal analysis, rheometry and calorimetry instruments are heavily used in material testing laboratories and, in many cases, provide
information useful in predicting the suitability and stability of industrial polymers, fine chemicals, pharmaceuticals, water, metals and viscous liquids in various industrial, consumer goods and healthcare products, as well as for life science
research. As with systems offered by Waters, a range of instrument configurations is available with increasing levels of sample handling and information processing automation. In addition, systems and accompanying software packages can be tailored
for specific applications
In 2016, TA introduced a new line of differential scanning calorimeters and
thermogravimetric analyzers. These new Discovery DSC systems feature enhanced sensing technologies resulting in unprecedented performance in baseline flatness, sensitivity, resolution and reproducibility. In addition, TA introduced the
ACS-2
Air Chiller System, ElectroForce 3310 test instrument and DuraPulse
TM
Stent Graft test instrument in 2016.
In 2017, TA
introduced the TAM Air microcalorimeter. Although designed to characterize the curing of cement, this instrument is an ideal platform for imaginative experimental design in a wide range of applications, including cement and concrete, material
science, food, pharmaceuticals and environmental analysis. TA also introduced three new dilatometer product lines in its 800 platform, which are high precision systems designed to measure dimensional changes of a specimen brought about by dynamic
thermal events in a wide range of applications, including material science, ceramics and metals. In 2017, TA introduced the Discovery SDT 650, which provides a true simultaneous measurement of weight change and differential heat flow using advanced
technologies, such as dual sample TGA, modulated DSC and modulated and
hi-resolution
TGA. In addition, TA introduced the Discovery
HP-TGA750,
a benchtop high pressure
TGA that utilizes a patented ultra-high resolution magnetic suspension balance and new high precision temperature control system. Late in 2017, TA introduced the Discovery DMA 850, which measures the viscoelastic mechanical properties of material
under controlled conditions of temperature, environment and mechanical stimulus (stress or strain). The DMA 850 features frictionless air bearing supports and a linear optical encoder, which ensures stable, accurate, high-resolution displacement
measurement across the full travel range and enables displacement control of 5 nm. In 2017, TA introduced the WinTestTM 8.0 software package, which will be standard on all new ElectroForce
TM
products. In addition, TA introduced the ElectroForce DMA 3200 in 2017, which combines fatigue and dynamic mechanical
analysis into a single mechanical test platform.
In September 2016, the Company acquired all of the outstanding stock of
Rubotherm GmbH (Rubotherm), a manufacturer of gravimetric analysis systems, for approximately $6 million in cash, $5 million of which was paid at closing and an additional $1 million paid after closing to settle certain
liabilities. Rubotherm develops and manufactures analytical test instruments for thermogravimetric and sorption measurements that are used in both industrial and academic research laboratories in disciplines that include chemistry, material science
and engineering. The Rubotherm acquisition has helped support and further expand product offerings within TAs thermal analysis business.
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