The department is equipped with a state-of-the-art DMA machine (Q800 by TA Instruments) which is used routinely to provide characterisation of nanohybrids and nanocomposites, as well as polymer blends and semicrystalline polymers.

DMA is a technique used to measure the mechanical properties of a wide range of materials. DMA differs from other mechanical testing devices in two ways.
Firstly typical tensile test devices focus only on the elastic component. In many applications, the inelastic, or viscous component, is critical. It is the viscous component that determines properties such as impact resistance.
Secondly, tensile test devices work primarily outside the linear viscoelastic range. DMA works primarily in the linear viscoelastic range and is therefore more sensitive to structure.

The performance of a DMA is a function of its ability to apply force and measure displacement, or vice versa. The Q800 DMA incorporates the latest technology for this purpose. It offers all the major deformation modes required to characterize solid bars, elastomers, soft foams, thin films and fibres. The deformation modes include bending (single cantilever, dual cantilever and 3-point bending), shear, compression and tension. The Q800 uses air bearings for support of the drive shaft.

Typical applications within our department include the study of nanohybrids and nanomaterials (determination of changes in Tg, determination of crosslink density, etc.).

Single and double cantilever clamp mounted on the instrument