Differential thermal analysis (DTA) is well known for measuring temperatures and heats of physical and chemical transitions in materials. Recent development work on improved stabilization systems for polyolefin wire insulations has required fast procedures for measuring the performance of stabilization systems. Isothermal DTA procedures have been developed into routine tools for measuring stability of polyolefins by determining the oxidative induction time at elevated temperatures. Oxidative induction time has been used to study the stability of polyethylene and polypropylene in raw material form and on wire. The dependence on temperature and antioxidant concentration have been measured. Effects of oxidation catalysts, catalyst deactivators and various environmental exposures are readily observed. Techniques and apparatus have been developed for simultaneous testing of a multiplicity of samples, providing for economical large scale use of the method.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Marshall et al. (1973) studied this question.