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Study of the oxidation kinetics of zirconium by Thermal Gravimetric Analysis (TGA) (CAT#: STEM-ACT-0034-WXH)

Introduction

Zirconium is a shiny silver-grey metal. It is highly ductile and extremely resistant to corrosion and heat. Its symbol in the periodic table is Zr, and its atomic number is 40. It melts at 1855 degrees Celsius (°C) and boils at 4409 °C, and it is not corroded by acids, alkalis or seawater.




Principle

Thermogravimetric analysis or thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) is a method of thermal analysis in which the mass of a sample is measured over time as the temperature changes. This measurement provides information about physical phenomena, such as phase transitions, absorption, adsorption and desorption; as well as chemical phenomena including chemisorptions, thermal decomposition, and solid-gas reactions (e.g., oxidation or reduction).

Applications

• Thermal characterization of polymers.
• Determination of the composition of alloys and mixtures.
• Determining the purity and thermal stability of both primary and secondary standards.

Procedure

TGA analysis is performed by gradually raising the temperature of a sample in a furnace as weight is measured on an analytical balance that remains outside the furnace. Thermogravimetric analysis instrument measures the changes in a sample's weight in a particular temperature by enclosing the sample in an oven.

Materials

Thermogravimetric analyzer