by Duncan Stacey, Sales & Marketing Director, Linkam Scientific Instruments
Understanding the micro- and thermo- mechanical properties of materials is increasingly important. Existing materials are being deployed in new environments and exotic new materials are being developed to meet ever higher demands. Hot stage microscopy (HSM) or Temperature-controlled Microscopy covers a wide range of analysis techniques from basic study of a material at a different temperature, to full thermal analysis techniques that combine traditional thermo-analytical techniques, such as differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermo-mechanical analysis (TMA), with microscopy.1 By merging these techniques, users can bring temperature control into their analysis as a testing parameter, allowing them to visualise and analyse the effects of temperature on samples in a variety of research fields, such as geology, pharmaceuticals, space science, and materials research.
The importance of temperature in understanding the behaviour and potential uses of materials being analysed is gaining more and more attention. Here, we discuss a selection of key applications of HSM, and the benefits this analytical technique can offer.
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