Simultaneous thermal analyzer sta 449f3

To support the results from the furnace testing and to get more detailed information about the breakdown processes, samples of the thermal insulation were tested in a simultaneous TGA/DSC apparatus (Simultaneous Thermal Analyzer STA 449F3, NETZSCH, Selb, Germany). Prior to the sample preparation, a larger sample was taken from the insulation mat, crushed and mixed well into one large batch, from which each sample was taken. This was done to, as far as possible, even out minor variations in the chemical composition of the different spun layers. The sample mass was approximately 12 mg (±1 mg). The TGA/DSC tests were run at heating rates of 5, 10, 20 and 40 K/min from room temperature to 1250 °C. Three tests were run at each heating rate. The tests were conducted in a nitrogen atmosphere to prevent air oxidation.

Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) of GPE-ILs was performed with a Netzsch Instruments simultaneous thermal analyzer (STA449F3) from 25 to 600 °C with a heating rate of 10 °C min⁻¹ under nitrogen atmosphere. The differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) of the samples was carried out using a TA-DSC2500 instrument with a temperature ranging from −80 to 150 °C and heating/cooling rate of 10 °C min⁻¹. Tensile stress strain curve of GPE-ILs was obtained using an Electronic Universal Material Testing Machine (Instron 5967). The length and diameter of the samples were 40 and 4 mm, respectively, and the stretching rate was 10 mm min⁻¹.