Oxidative degradation of polymers is an exothermic process (releases heat) and is detectable by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Furthermore, DSC evaluation of polyethylene at elevated temperatures in the presence of oxygen is an effective method for accelerating the onset of degradation so that longer term (shelf life) properties can be predicted and/or compared.
The purpose of this paper is to provide a universally acceptable definition of “Melting” and then illustrate that loss of crystalline structure in many materials can be caused by numerous chemical processes other than thermodynamic or “True Melting”.
ITC has recently received increased attention from the field of material science, which necessitates the use of non-aqueous solvent systems. Herein, we elaborate on the development of a representative binding assay that measures the interactions of Ca2+ with a calcium ionophore in a methanol solvent system.
The interaction between the antigen binding site and an antigen is extremely specific, which has made antibodies very highly desirable reagents when developing a wide variety of antigen detection assays.
Isothermal titration calorimetry is a technique where heat is measured under constant pressure. This heat can be translated into enthalpy based on the First Law of Thermodynamics. Although the focus of the technique has been rooted in measuring biophysical phenomena in labs that specialized in calorimetry, it has seen growth as a general technique to quantitatively describe systems from proteins to nanomaterials.
Nano Differential Scanning Calorimetry (Nano DSC) and Isothermal Titration Calorimetry (ITC) are powerful label-free and immobilization free analytic tools for thermodynamic measurements of molecular binding, biomolecular thermostability, and enzyme kinetic reactions.
Nano Differential Scanning Calorimetry (Nano DSC) and Isothermal Titration Calorimetry (ITC) are powerful label-free and immobilization free analytic tools for thermodynamic measurements of molecular binding, biomolecular thermostability, and enzyme kinetic reactions.
Mechanical testing techniques are commonly used to quantify the compression characteristics of such devices. The goal of these tests is to determine a relationship between the compressive displacement and the resulting force on the devices. A precise and accurate assessment of force against displacement can be performed by using the ElectroForce® 3200 Series III test instrument.
Polymer leaflet heart valves can fail in long-term use due to tearing and calcification caused by high dynamic tensile and bending stresses on the material and oxidative reactions with blood. It was postulated that synthetic valve leaflets that mimic the natural valve leaflet structure fabricated from fiber-reinforced composite material will minimize leaflet stresses and decrease tears and perforations.
TA Instruments’ 3300 and 3510 load frames can be used to characterize the mechanical strength and durability of breast implants. These insights are crucial for both the design optimization and final validation that is required for regulation.
Hydrogels are used for a range of applications. In this study, we characterized two different types of topical wound dressing hydrogels, one specialized for radiation dermatitis, and another for low exudating wounds using dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) techniques.
A rheometer is a powerful instrument that can be used to monitor the gel formation and also to measure the gel strength. Two case studies are discussed regarding the use of a TA Instruments’ rotational rheometer to analyze the properties of different types of hydrogels.