LimsPulse
Thermal analysis & ovens

Thermogravimetric Analyser (TGA)

Weighs a sample continuously while it is heated, and records mass loss against temperature. Used to measure water and solvent content, decomposition and residue.

  • Pharmaceutical
  • Polymers
  • Materials science
  • Minerals
  • Chemicals
Photo of a Thermogravimetric Analyser (TGA)
Photo: Luigi Chiesa, CC BY 3.0 (cropped), via Wikimedia Commons
Follow your site SOP
This is a typical operating sequence for learning. Your instrument model and approved SOP take precedence.
STAGE 1

Before you start

  1. 1Check calibration status and gas supply.
  2. 2Clean the pan by heating it empty (flaming or furnace bake-out) if required.
  3. 3Run a blank curve with an empty pan if buoyancy correction is used.
  • Make sure the balance is level and free of vibration; TGA balances are very sensitive.
STAGE 2

Loading

  1. 1Tare the empty pan in the instrument.
  2. 2Place 5–20 mg of sample evenly in the pan using a spatula.
  3. 3Let the reading stabilise and record the starting mass.
  • Do not let sample fall onto the hang-down wire or into the furnace.
STAGE 3

Running

  1. 1Select the method (for example nitrogen 40–60 mL/min, heat from 30 °C to 300 °C at 10 °C/min).
  2. 2Start the run and watch the first minutes for a stable signal.
  3. 3Evaluate mass loss for each step between the defined temperatures, and the onset temperatures.
  • Samples that release corrosive or toxic gases need an approved method and exhaust.
STAGE 4

After use

  1. 1Allow the furnace to cool before removing the pan.
  2. 2Clean or discard the pan as appropriate.
  3. 3Complete the logbook.
In LimsPulse · Calibration Management

Keep every TGA in control: usage logs, calibration and maintenance schedules, and automatic blocking of overdue instruments.

See how