*** TA Confidential Data***

TA Instruments Q20 MDSC Lockout Specifications

DSC Performance
Temperature range:

-180 to 725C (Total)

Ambient to 725C (Air Cooling)
-90C to 550C (Mechanical Cooling)
-180C to 550C (Liquid N2 Cooling)

Temperature Accuracy: 0.1C

Temperature Precision: 0.05C
Calorimetric Precision (based on metal standards): 0.1%
Maximum Calorimetric Sensitivity: 0.2 W
Sensitivity/Resolution1:

> 30 mW/C

Baseline Curvature (-50 to 300C): 10 W

Baseline Reproducibility: 10 W
Baseline Noise (max. peak to peak): <1W
Dynamic Range +/- 500 mW
Cooling Performance
DSC must be able to achieve minimum 5C/min controlled cooling to the following
temperatures:
Liquid N2 Cooling: -165C
Mechanical Cooling: -75C
Air Cooling:
110C
DSC must be capable of cooling from 500C to ambient in the following times:
Liquid N2 Cooling:
Mechanical Cooling:
Air Cooling:
(w/Quench Can):
Quench Cooling:

5 minutes (avg. 95C/min.)

7 minutes (67C/min)
30 minutes (15C/min)
7 minutes (67C/min)
<6 min (N2 purge)
<4 min (He Purge)

The sensitivity/resolution index is defined as the ratio of the height (in mW) to the width (in C) of a 1.0 0.05 mg
indium melting peak analyzed at 10C/min in a N2 atmosphere.
1

Instrument Features
DSC instrumentation is of the Heat Flux design whereby the sample and reference are
measured in the same furnace, on separate stages.
The DSC should employ area temperature detectors directly beneath the sample and reference
positions, not platinum resistance thermometers or thermopiles.
The DSC furnace shall be constructed of silver, with platinel heater windings. The benefit of this
design is in the uniform thermal environment, and long furnace lifetime.
Purge gas is pre-heated prior to entering the sample chamber and sweeps across sample for
optimal purge interaction with sample. By design, all oxygen is purged from "dead spaces" of
cell; reliance on diffusion of purge gas is avoided.
DSC must include or accommodate Modulated DSC, defined and compliant as described in
section below.
DSC must come equipped with or be upgradeable to include a robotic autosampler as described
below.
DSC must include touch screen for easy controller access and monitoring.
DSC must communicate with computer/controller through Ethernet BUS.
DSC must include dual digital mass flow control. These mass-flow controllers must be
incorporated into the instrument (i.e. shall not be a separate unit). Flow rate must be
programmable within operating software, and deliverable as a saved signal in the data file. Mass
flow controllers must also allow for automated gas switching during an experiment.
Data files contain measured sample temperature, not calculated temperature. This allows the
user to know what temperature the sample is actually at during different heating rate experiments
and makes for accurate and precise transition temperatures.
Must have up to five points for temperature calibration.
Software
The DSC must include operating software which allows for the instrument to be fully calibrated
and verified automatically, without the need for operator presence (when equipped with an
autosampler). Calibrations must include baseline, cell constant, and temperature. Scheduling
capabilities must be present, such that these calibrations and/or verifications can be programmed
to perform during normal quiescent periods, such as overnight or on weekends. The software
must also be capable of sending automatic communications as to the status of these
calibration/verification experiments, either by email or instant messaging, so that the operator is
fully apprised of their status.

In addition, the instrument software must be capable of performing a series of auto-diagnostic

tests, either manually or through the scheduling component. These tests should verify the
performance of various instrument components such as autosampler/autolid motors, electronic
boards, mass flow controllers, etc. The results of these tests should be logged and the option to
automatically report the result via email or instant messaging should be included.
The operating software should also be capable of periodically and automatically checking for
updates via an internet connection, and downloading/installing those updates if desired.
The data analysis software should be unkeyed, to allow for unlimited installations within one
site. The data file format should easily allow sharing/transfer of data files as individual
electronic documents, which are readable by the same data analysis package. The data analysis
program should also include a .pdf generator, for the efficient export of analyzed plots.
Heat Flow Measurement
Instrument must employ advanced techniques for the accurate measurement of heat flow. These
techniques are to include the existence of a temperature sensor located midway between the
sample and reference sensor. This provides for independently measure sample and reference heat
flow, and also acts as a control sensor for optimal heating rate regulation.
DSC shall employ a heat-flow equation of no less than four terms. This equation shall be as
follows:

1
T
1
dT
dT
T0 Cr Cs s Cr
Rr
d
d
Rs Rr

The purpose of the four-term heat flow equation is to measure and compensate for various factors
within the heat-flow measurement, which provides for superior instrument performance.
Within the four-term heat flow equation, the following must be directly measured and
incorporated:
-Measured Heat Flow
-Thermal Resistance Imbalance
-Thermal Capacitance Imbalance
-Heating Rate Imbalance
Autosampler Performance
Instrument must come equipped with or be upgradeable to include a robotic autosampler.
Autosampler must be able to load no less than 50 sample pans and no less than 5 reference pans
in one tray.
Autosampler shall accommodate a variety of DSC pan types, including but not limited to:
standard, hermetic, open, and high-volume.

Autosampler must employ auto-lid device, which removes all coverings from the DSC sensor
with a mechanism independent of the sample loading mechanism.
Maximum time to unload existing sample and load new sample shall not exceed 70 seconds.
Autosampler shall employ mechanical finger-style gripper, not a suction device.
Autosampler shall incorporate redundant optical and electrical pan sensing for maximum
reliability.
Autosampler shall include optical sensors for automatic calibration
Autosampler shall employ automated position calibration routine that requires minimal input
from the user. Full auto-calibration should be performed in less than 5 minutes.
Autosampler shall be controllable through a touch-screen display, or by some other means
independent of the controlling computer.
Autosampler shall not require regular lubrication.

Modulated DSC
Supplier must show proof of long-term product viability that is not conflicting with TA
Instrument's patents:
5,224,775 "Method and Apparatus For Modulated Differential Analysis", July, 6, 1993.
5,335,993 "Method and Apparatus For Thermal Conductivity Measurements", August 9, 1994.
5,346,306 "Method and Apparatus For Modulated Differential Analysis", September 13, 1994.
Modulated DSC must be supplied with the following criteria:
Ability to apply sinusoidal temperature wave to sample: Amplitude of sine wave 0.01 to
3C; frequency period from 10 to 200 seconds.
Must include the ability to perform quasi-isothermal experiments, i.e. holding isothermal
with a small temperature modulation.
The temperature modulation should be strictly periodic to ensure continuous steady-state
control and exact experiment reproducibility, random temperature perturbations are not
acceptable.
In order to view the signals real-time, deconvolution of the signals must be done real-time,
on board the module using a discrete Fourier Transformation, not after the scan.

All of the signals above must be collected during one single experiment and stored in one
single data file.

Must be able to view the following signals in real-time during the experiment: Total Heat
Flow, Total Heat Capacity, Reversing Heat Capacity, Reversing Heat Flow, NonReversing (Kinetic) Heat Flow, Modulated Temperature, Modulated Heat Flow, Heat
Flow Phase, Reference Sine Angle, Temperature Amplitude, Heat Flow Amplitude.

The heat capacity measurements must not require a prior baseline scan that has to be
subtracted from the sample scan for quantitative data.

Must include the ability to measure thermal conductivity of insulators with no hardware
modifications to DSC.