What this workflow helps you do
Review simultaneous or aligned TGA–DSC signals together so thermal events can be compared with mass changes over the same temperature region. The workflow helps establish temporal or temperature coincidence while keeping chemical interpretation separate from the measured evidence.
Use this workflow when
- Checking whether a DSC event coincides with a TGA mass-loss step.
- Distinguishing thermal events that occur with little mass change from events coupled to decomposition or volatilization.
- Preparing a combined thermal-analysis review for reports or follow-up interpretation.
What you need before you start
- Combined or alignable TGA and DSC data with a common temperature or time basis.
- Correct mass and heat-flow channel mapping and units.
- Known heat-flow sign convention, atmosphere and heating program.
Step-by-step workflow
- Import the combined data and map the temperature, mass and heat-flow channels correctly.
- Confirm that the TGA and DSC channels share the intended temperature/time alignment.
- Run thermal analysis to review TGA mass-loss steps and DSC thermal events.
- Compare event ranges, DTG peaks, DSC onset/peak/endset positions and residual mass behavior.
- Separate observations of coincidence from proposed chemical mechanisms.
- Report the aligned evidence with the heating program, atmosphere and signal conventions.
What to review in the result
- TGA and DSC channels are actually aligned before event temperatures are compared.
- Mass-loss steps and DSC events are reported as measured relationships rather than automatic causal assignments.
- Heat-flow direction is interpreted correctly.
- Overlapping events and shoulders are acknowledged.
Before you report or export
- Use the same temperature calibration or alignment basis for both channels.
- Report the simultaneous-analysis test conditions.
- Support reaction assignments with chemistry, evolved-gas analysis or other evidence when necessary.
Limitations and interpretation
- Coincident thermal and mass changes do not by themselves identify the reaction mechanism.
- Different channel response times or misalignment can make events appear shifted.
- Complex overlapping processes may not separate cleanly into one DSC event and one TGA step.