NEW CASTLE, Del.—TA Instruments Inc. said its Discovery X3 Differential Scanning Calorimeter provides more data and consolidates three instruments into one.
The addition to the company's Discovery Differential Scanning Calorimeter incorporates its Fusion Cell and Tzero-brand technologies to handle up to three samples at the same time.
"The demand for the development of high-performance materials is increasing rapidly throughout many industries," the company said in a statement. "New materials require considerable testing and these tests significantly extend the development and validation timelines. Traditional DSCs are limited to analyzing a single sample during an experiment which may, depending upon the method, require several minutes to many hours." the company said.
The company said the Discovery X3 Differential Scanning Calorimeter generates three times the data as a standard DSC.
"The baseline quality and sensitivity of the Fusion Cell technology allows researchers to compare various formulations or competitive materials side-by-side under the exact same test conditions," TA Instruments said.
The company also introduced its new Trios-brand software feature, Batch Processing, which aligns "to assist with three times more data generated with the X3 DSC," according to the company.
Differential Scanning Calorimeters measure temperatures and heat flows associated with thermal transitions in a material, the firm said.
They are used for the "investigation, selection, comparison and end-use performance evaluation of materials in research, quality control and production applications," TA Instruments said. Tzero technology provides direct measurement of heat capacity.
The New Castle-based company also introduced a line of high-performance rheometers, including the Discovery Hybrid Rheometer HR 30.
"This new trio of high-performance rheometers are five times more sensitive than previous versions and offer class-leading versatility in a platform that makes it easier for users of all experience levels to obtain accurate rheological data," TA Instruments said.
The company enhanced its patented Magnetic Thrust Bearing, Optical Encoder Dual Reader and Advanced Drag Cup Motor technologies. Those moves provide "improved measurement sensitivity and dynamic data accuracy. Scientists are now empowered to measure weak intermolecular structures, lower viscosities, and obtain results on smaller volumes of low viscosity or weakly structured fluids, than previously possible," TA Instruments said.
That's a "critical consideration when working with scarce or novel materials," the firm said.
David Bohnsack, product manager for rheology at TA Instruments, said the firm's customers told them rheology is growing more important in their work.
"They need better data on a wider range of materials, and they have more people in their organizations making those measurements," he said in a statement. "The new Discovery Hybrid Rheometers support that need with better measurements, a system that is easier to use, and versatility to grow with their business."
Rheology studies flow and deformation of materials, the company said.
"Deformation and flow are referred to as strain or strain rate, respectively, and indicate the distance over which a body moves under the influence of an external force, or stress," according to TA Instruments. "For this reason, rheology is also considered to be the study of stress-strain relationships in materials."
"A rheometer is a precision instrument that contains the material of interest in a geometric configuration, controls the environment around it, and applies and measures wide ranges of stress, strain, and strain rate," it continued.
The company also introduced new software for users of the Discovery Hybrid Rheometer "of all levels of expertise."
The Trios-Express interface simplifies test set-up for users with little prior experience, the company said. A new AutoPilot feature also provides custom and guided interactions with the machine. This includes instructions, test methods, data analysis and reporting.
TA Instruments is a subsidiary of Waters Corp., a specialty measurement company with operations in 31 countries, including 15 manufacturing sites.