C-THERM TCi User manual

C
-
Therm TCi
Operator
Manual
TH
130041 Rev.
H

TCi Operator Manual
iii
Table of Contents
1
Introduction
................................
................................
................................
.........................
1
1.1
A note on instrument limitations
................................
................................
..................
2
1.2
C
-
Therm TCi Manual Intent
................................
................................
.........................
3
1.3
C
-
Therm TCi System
Setup
................................
................................
........................
4
1.3.1
Checking the items and their condition
................................
................................
....
4
1.3.2
Checking grounded cable
................................
................................
.......................
4
1.3.3
Making connectio
ns
................................
................................
................................
4
1.3.4
Starting up the C
-
Therm TCi system
................................
................................
.......
4
2
C
-
Therm TCi Software Use
................................
................................
................................
.
5
2.1
Menu Items
................................
................................
................................
................
5
2.2
Table Use
................................
................................
................................
...................
8
2.2.1
Menu
s
................................
................................
................................
....................
9
2.2.2
Buttons
................................
................................
................................
.................
10
2.2.3
Table Options
................................
................................
................................
.......
11
2.2.4
Using the Parameter Fields to Search
................................
................................
...
11
2.3
Reco
rd Management
................................
................................
................................
11
2.3.1
Create a Record
................................
................................
................................
...
12
2.3.2
View a Record
................................
................................
................................
......
12
2.3.3
Edit a Record
................................
................................
................................
.......
13
2.3.4
Delete a Record
................................
................................
................................
...
13
2.3.5
Recover a Record
................................
................................
................................
14
2.4
Printing
................................
................................
................................
.....................
14
3
Records
................................
................................
................................
............................
16
3.1
Project
................................
................................
................................
......................
16
3.2
Material Group
................................
................................
................................
..........
16
3.3
Material
................................
................................
................................
....................
17
3.4
Material Lot
................................
................................
................................
..............
18
3.5
Test Method
................................
................................
................................
.............
18
3.6
Contact Agents
................................
................................
................................
.........
20
3.7
Notes
................................
................................
................................
........................
20
3.8
Calibration Materials
................................
................................
................................
.
21
3.9
Calibration Material G
roups
................................
................................
......................
22
3.10
Calibration Methods
................................
................................
................................
..
23
4
Testing
................................
................................
................................
..............................
26
4.1
General Procedure
................................
................................
................................
...
26
4.2
Foam Testing
................................
................................
................................
...........
31
4.3
Powder Testing
................................
................................
................................
........
31
4.4
Solid Testing
................................
................................
................................
.............
32
4.5
Liquid Testing
................................
................................
................................
...........
32
4.6
Blotter
or Thin Sample Testing
................................
................................
..................
33
4.7
Indirect Property Calculations
................................
................................
...................
35
4.8
Altering the Test Method during the Test
................................
................................
...
36
4.9
Changing the Units of Measurement
................................
................................
.........
36
4.10
Auto Test
ing
................................
................................
................................
.............
36
4.11
Contact Agents
................................
................................
................................
.........
37
4.11.1
Testing with Wakefield 120 Thermal Grease
................................
.....................
38
4.12
Chemical Testing with RTV Tabs
................................
................................
..............
40
5
Data Analysis
techniques and practices
................................
................................
............
42
5.1
Opening a Test
................................
................................
................................
.........
42
5.2
Using Excel for added Analysis Power
................................
................................
......
4
2
5.2.1
Copying to the Clipboard
................................
................................
......................
42
5.3
Overlaying Measurements/Tests
................................
................................
...............
42
5.4
Editing a Test
................................
................................
................................
...........
42

TCi Operator Manual
iv
5.5
Reports
................................
................................
................................
....................
43
5.6
Exporting and Importing
................................
................................
............................
44
5.6.1
Export
................................
................................
................................
..................
44
5.6.2
Import
................................
................................
................................
...................
46
6
User Calibration
................................
................................
................................
................
48
6.1
User Calibration Wizard
................................
................................
............................
48
6.2
Opening or Continuin
g a User Calibration in the Wizard
................................
............
55
6.3
User Calibration Overview
................................
................................
........................
58
6.4
Create Calibration Materials
................................
................................
......................
59
6.5
Create Calibration Material Group
................................
................................
.............
59
6.6
Create Cal
ibration Method
................................
................................
........................
60
6.7
Acquire Calibration Data
................................
................................
...........................
60
6.8
Compute Results
................................
................................
................................
......
62
7
Software Setup and Maintenance
................................
................................
......................
65
7.1
Setup
................................
................................
................................
........................
65
7.2
System Policies
................................
................................
................................
........
72
7.3
Manage Users and User Groups
................................
................................
...............
74
7.3.1
Permissions
................................
................................
................................
..........
74
7.3.2
Users
................................
................................
................................
...................
75
7.3.3
Groups
................................
................................
................................
.................
77
7.3.4
Reactivating a Locked Account
................................
................................
.............
79
7.3.5
Clear Password History
................................
................................
........................
79
7.4
Change Password
................................
................................
................................
....
79
8
System Calibration and Maintenance
................................
................................
................
81
8.1
Calibration
................................
................................
................................
................
81
8.1.1
Unlock Calibrations/User Calibration
................................
................................
.....
81
8.2
Diag
nostics
................................
................................
................................
...............
82
8.2.1
Reference Material Test
................................
................................
.......................
82
8.2.2
System Checks
................................
................................
................................
....
86
8.3
Cleaning Procedure
................................
................................
................................
..
87
8.4
Troubleshooting
................................
................................
................................
........
88
8.4.1
General Information required
................................
................................
................
88
8.4.2
Troubleshooting List
................................
................................
.............................
89
9
Theory of Operation
................................
................................
................................
..........
92
9.1
TCi Calibrations
................................
................................
................................
........
92
9.1.1
Sensor temperature calibration
................................
................................
.............
92
9.1.2
Basic multi
-
point effusivity calibration
................................
................................
....
93
9.2
Material groups and power levels
................................
................................
..............
98
9.3
Contact ag
ent
................................
................................
................................
...........
99
9.4
Thermal conductivity (k) calibration
................................
................................
.........
100
9.4.1
Limitations for
k
measurements
................................
................................
..........
101
9.5
Temperature considerations in effusivity calibration
................................
................
102
9.6
Temperature considerations in conductivity calibration
................................
............
103
9.7
Error analysis
................................
................................
................................
.........
104
9.7.1
General
................................
................................
................................
..............
104
9.7.2
Material
................................
................................
................................
..............
105
9.7.3
Contact
................................
................................
................................
..............
105
9.7.4
Equipment
................................
................................
................................
..........
105
9.7.5
Calibration
................................
................................
................................
..........
106
9.7.6
Additional Notes
–
Heat Equation
................................
................................
.......
107
Appendices
................................
................................
................................
.............................
110
Appendix A: System Components and Accesso
ries
................................
.............................
110
Appendix B: C
-
Therm TCi Controller Specifications
................................
.............................
111
C
-
Therm TCi Sensor Specifications
................................
................................
.................
112
C
-
Therm TCi Standar
d Computer Specifications
................................
.............................
113

TCi Operator Manual
v
Appendix C: Materials of Construction and Chemical Resistance Data
................................
114
Appendix D: Reference Material Standard Values
................................
...............................
118
Appendix E: Permission Default Values
................................
................................
...............
119
Appendix F: CE
Certification
................................
................................
................................
121
Appendix G: Units and Conversions
................................
................................
....................
122
Appendix H: Contact Agent MSDS
–
Glycol
................................
................................
.........
124
Appendix I: Disclaimer
................................
................................
................................
.........
132

TCi Operator Manual
vi

TCi Operator Manual
1
1
Introduction
The third generation of
the
C
-
Therm
thermal conductivity
technology expands the capabilities of
this rapid, non
-
destructive thermal testing instrument to a whole new level. Designed to provide
simple, highly accurate thermal characterization
of thermal conductivity and thermal effusivity
for
in
lab
use
, quality
control
,
and production environments, the
C
-
Therm
TCi
TM
Thermal
Conductivity
Analyzer
requires no calibration or sample preparation. The system has
broad testing capabilities
(0.0 to 100 W/mK)
across
a wide range of temperatures
(
–
50
˚to 200˚C).
The key
capabilities and benefits of the system include the ability to test:

Materials ranging from ~ 0 to 100 W/mK in thermal conductivity or 0
–
19000 W
√
s/m
2
k in
effusivity.

Solids, liquids, powders and pastes
.

A wide temperature range from
–
50 to 200°C.

Accura
cy and precision under 5% and 1% respectively. (Stated from 0
°
C to 50
°
C).
The
C
-
Therm TCi
system is engineered to operate in lab environments (including QA/QC labs),
for off
-
line and at
-
line testing. The base technology is migratable to the production
floor and can
be integrated into many manufacturing processes as an in
-
line monitoring and control system
measure
(see C
-
Therm ESP product line).
The
C
-
Therm TCi
provides many additional thermo
-
physical properties by indirect calculation,
including:

Diff
usivity

Thermal Conductivity (calculated from Thermal Effusivity)

Heat Capacity, volumetric specific heat

R
-
value (insulations)

Depth of penetration
A full description of the indirect calculations is provided in Appendix
G
.
The
C
-
Therm TCi
system uses th
e base platform technology developed by Mathis Instruments
Ltd. in 2004/2005 for the pharmaceutical industry, leveraging the solid
-
state sensor technology as
well as associated electronics and improved software.
Keeping true to
the original concept
of
a
n
on
-
destructive testing technology, the C
-
Therm TCi
maintains the ability to test
materials
with little to no sample preparation
, and the versatility to
test
small
sample
volumes
(approximately the size of a nickel coin). There are no limitations as to
how
large a sample can be due to the transient method of measurement the system employs.
Testing times are typically within a few seconds and automated testing remains a key
convenience. Dual sensor testing is also available for higher testing throughput, as
are additional
accessories for specific applications.
The
C
-
Therm TCi
platform offers modular expansion of the system’s capabilities (e.g. calibration
ranges, sensor upgrades, accessories, etc.), and a flexible software architecture that offers a full,
r
elational database platform for data management
. The 2
.3
software introduces the option for
user calibration, available with the “Max k” module. The factory calibrations provide immediate
and broad testing capability while the user calibration feature of
fers the ability to focus on a
narrower region of interest at fixed temperatures.
This operating manual provides in
-
depth guidance to users in leveraging the
C
-
Therm TCi
for its
intended use. It is very important that users invest the time in reviewing t
he information provided
within this document for the safe and effective application of this advanced technology. Upon
reviewing the document, should users have any further questions we encourage them to contact
their C
-
Therm representative.

TCi Operator Manual
2
1.1
A note on instr
ument limitations
It should be noted that in applying an instrument such as the C
-
Therm TCi in testing a wide
variety of materials, material types and temperature ranges, careful consideration should be given
to the limitations in performance and/or use o
f this system under certain conditions. In many
cases, the C
-
Therm TCi can replace as many as four (4)
traditional
thermal conductivity
instruments that covered the same claimed range of testing. However, in simplifying thermal
conductivity testing and pr
oviding an instrument to test such a wide material range, there are
some limitations that can be encountered in specific circumstances where a general research tool
like the C
-
Therm TCi will not be appropriate (the proverbial square bolt in a round hole).
As such, every attempt is made to provide up
-
front information on any known limitations of the
system and to provide general recommendations that help to ensure the optimal use of the
instrument.
Examples of performance constraints that may be encounter
ed and some recommended best
practices include:

Contact with some materials is poor due to the material morphology or a process
condition and the fact that the sensor chip surface is not flexible or conforming. C
-
Therm
has provided contact agents for non
-
p
orous solid materials testing and can establish
special calibrations for certain materials that are not compatible with liquid contact
agents.

Like all lab instruments, the C
-
Therm TCi should be used in a consistent manner to
ensure consistent results. The
user’s test methodology is extremely important and it is
recommended users review any new application of the instrument with a C
-
Therm
technical support person.

The C
-
Therm TCi is designed to withstand the full temperature ranges specified, but has
not be
en calibrated for the entire range given the constraints of available calibration
materials and typical requirements for specific Material Groups. Customized calibration of
the instrument is possible, either by a C
-
Therm representative or by a user certifi
ed for
advanced operation of the instrument.

The C
-
Therm TCi is a very sensitive analytical instrument. It is the user’s responsibility to
provide stable environmental conditions in optimizing the performance of the instrument.
As such, the users’ test me
thodology is important to guarantee accurate and consistent
results (
e
.g.
t
hermal chambers used in sub
-
zero temperatures may generate frost
between the sample and sensor, affecting the results. The user needs to compensate
accordingly for these conditions)
.

The sensor construction was chosen to meet the optimal combination of test temperature
requirements as well as respecting internal design constraints. Some materials of
construction may be aggressively affected by contact with certain chemicals
–
it is
n
ecessary to be aware of those chemicals that are known to impact the integrity of the
sensor as well as those that have not been tested or determined through literature
searches to be safe. Appendix C provides a listing to inform users of these issues and
has provided means to test the
least resistant
component, the RTV sealant. Test tabs
can be purchased from C
-
Therm for chemical aggression testing, avoiding undue
damage to the sensor. C
-
Therm will not take responsibility for sensors damaged due to
exposur
e to untested or known to be damaging chemicals.

Testing under compression greater
than
90
psig
can result in a damaged sensor. Special
testing conditions requiring higher
-
pressure ratings can be investigated on an individual
basis in contacting a C
-
Therm
representative.
The thermal conductivity of the sample material is primarily determined by the direct
measurement of the thermal effusivity (thermal inertia) of the material. In rare circumstances, an
unacceptable error is evident in testing materials wh
ich have a density or heat capacity which are
substantially different than the materials applied in the calibration of the system.
The
Error

TCi Operator Manual
3
Analysis
section
explains these issues and C
-
Therm technical support is available to provide
further insight if r
equired. Accordingly, testing materials which appropriately fit within the proper
Material Group is necessary for accurate results. Material groupings can be further optimized for
the specific needs of a user
-
either by C
-
Therm on a contract basis, or th
rough additional training
and software module extension for user calibration capabilities.
Open discussions are recommended on new projects or applications with a C
-
Therm technical
support representative in determining whether or not the
C
-
Therm TCi
TM
is
an appropriate
research tool. In general, the standard configuration of the
C
-
Therm TCi
TM
covers the test
requirements of most users. However, special conditions required by a user can be provided for
with customized solutions specific to their needs. Ple
ase contact C
-
Therm when considering
applications that are not represented in this manual.
Material Testing Summary (taken from
the Testing chapter
):
Material
Type
Minimum
Thickness
Power
Level
Temperature
Range (°C)
Sample Setup &
Preparation
Contact A
gent
Liquids
1 mm
90
-
50 to 192
Fill 50 mL beaker to
3
5
mL mark. Place
sensor in beaker.
None
Powders
1 mm
90
-
50 to 192
Fill 50 mL beaker to
30 mL mark. Place
sensor in beaker.
Foams
2 mm
90
-
50 to 192
Place sample on
sensor. Place weight
on sample.
Polymers
5 mm
90
-
50 to 192
Place contact agent
on sensor. Place
sample on sensor.
Place weight on
sample.
-
5
0 to 5°C: 3 drops glycol
5 to 70°C: 3 drops water
70 to
200
°C:
Wakefield
120 Thermal Grease
Ceramics
5 mm
90
-
50 to 192
Metals
5
-
12 mm
125
-
50 to 150
1.2
C
-
Therm TCi
Manual Intent
This manual covers the detailed use of the
C
-
Therm TCi
including the test methods and
procedures to use for various types of testing. The manual is primarily directed to explain the
operating windows and
menus and the detailed steps for day
-
to
-
day test setup, display and data
collection.
Special accessories and test methods as well as software modules not part of the standard
operational package are included separately to those who purchase those items,
with appropriate
documentation able to be added to this manual binder as needed. A list of additional modules and
accessories available or planned are located in Appendix A.

TCi Operator Manual
4
1.3
C
-
Therm TCi
System Setup
1.3.1
Checking the items and their condition
The
standard
C
-
Therm TCi
system
will
arrive in a
Pelican Case
. Inspect the
case
for shipping
damage and report this immediately to your shipping department to address with the courier
company. The standard shipping items are listed in the shipping list, typically consis
ting of:

Laptop computer

C
-
Therm TCi
Controller

C
-
Therm TCi
sensor(s)

C
-
Therm TCi
Operating manual (software CD inside)

Contact agents

Reference material(s)

C
-
Therm TCi
sensor base

Power cable and
USB to Serial cable

Pelican Case for transport
1.3.2
Checking
grounded cable
Check that a properly
grounded
cable for your power outlet type is provided. If this is not the
case, contact
C
-
Therm
or your
C
-
Therm
distribution agent immediately for resolution.
Do Not
Use the
C
-
Therm TCi
in an UNGROUNDED State.
1.3.3
Making c
onnections
Make the following connections:

Connect power cable to rear of
C
-
Therm TCi
and into the wall outlet

Connect power cable to laptop and into the wall outlet

Connect
USB to
serial cable to laptop and to rear of
C
-
Therm TCi

Connect
C
-
Therm TCi
sen
sor(s) at rear of
C
-
Therm TCi
–
If you only have one sensor,
always use the “Sensor 1” connector location
1.3.4
Starting up the
C
-
Therm TCi
system

Turn on the laptop

Turn on the
C
-
Therm TCi
controller

Initiate the
C
-
Therm TCi
software by selecting the
C
-
Therm
TCi
software icon.

Proceed to Diagnostics (button located on the main window)
-
Conduct a system check
and material reference check
(
r
efer to
the
System Calibration and Maintenance chapter
).

Review the manual for
guidelines on
selecting
calibration
s
, and g
eneral operation.

Review test procedures, appendices and the SOPs.

Proceed to
sample testing
by following
procedures outlined in
the
Testing
chapter
.