Characterization of polymers based on differential scanning calorimetry based techniques.

Abstract Polymers have a wide range of applications, in the production of packaging, medical and the automotive industries. Due to the ample and large-scale usage of polymers in various industries, scientists are now looking for novel polymer materials with thermoplastic properties or with the high mechanical strength while, maintaining a lightweight. Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) based techniques such as conventional DSC, Parallel-Nano DSC (PNDSC), MicroElectroMechanical Systems (MEMS)-DSC, Modulated-Temperature DSC (MTDSC), Infrared (IR)-heated DSC, Gas Flow-Modulated DSC (GFMDSC), High-Performance (HPer) DSC, Pressure Perturbation Calorimetry (PPC), Flash DSC and Self-Referencing DSC (SRDSC) are frequently used to study and analyze the thermal properties of polymer materials. These techniques allow researchers to determine melting temperatures, polymorphic transformations and decompositions. This review highlights the recent developments within the field of DSC applications, which show new possibilities in the applications of DSC for physicochemical analysis. Highlights • The latest progression in the field of DSC- based techniques. • The knowledge gaps in the characterization of polymers using DSC techniques. • The miniaturization of measuring cells to increase the sensitivity of DSC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]