Thermal Analysis in Switzerland

An overview about the state-of-the-art of the different techniques of thermal analysis is presented. Their advantages, some handicaps and their possibilities are given with some specific examples. A great number of the existing techniques are presently used in Switzerland, at universities, technical high schools, research institutes as well as in many different branches of industry. The applications are within all possible fields: research, development, in-process control and production. The Swiss Society for Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry (STK) has been founded in 1975 and activities were performed in several scientific areas during national and international venues. The STK is the vehicle for the exchange of scientific information, promotion and education in areas such as inorganic and organic chemistry, biochemistry and biophysics, polymers and material research. The methods of thermal analysis (TA) especially also with the to-day existing coupled instruments (TA-spectroscopy) are the basis for fundamental and applied investigations in the development of new chemical entities, new chemical and physical processes.