TA Instruments TGA 2050 User manual

TA I NSTRUMENTS TGA 2050 I
TGA 2050
Thermogravimetric Analyzer
Operator’s Manual
PN 925603.001 Rev. D (Text and Binder)
PN 925603.002 Rev. D (Text Only)
Issued July 2000
Thermal Analysis & Rheology

TA I NSTRUMENTS TGA 2050 II
©1995, 1996, 1997, 2000
by TA Instruments, Inc.
109 Lukens Drive
New Castle, DE 19720
Notice
The material contained in this manual is be-
lieved adequate for the intended use of this
instrument. If the instrument or procedures are
used for purposes other than those specified
herein, confirmation of their suitability must be
obtained from TA Instruments. Otherwise, TA
Instruments does not guarantee any results and
assumes no obligation or liability. This publica-
tion is not a license to operate under or a
recommendation to infringe upon any process
patents.
TA Instruments Operating Software and Mod-
ule, Data Analysis, and Utility Software and
their associated manuals are proprietary and
copyrighted by TA Instruments, Inc. Purchas-
ers are granted a nonexclusive, nontransferable
license to use these software programs on the
module and controller with which they were
purchased. These programs may not be du-
plicated by the purchaser without the prior
written consent of TA Instruments. Each
licensed program shall remain the exclusive
property of TA Instruments, and no rights or
licenses are granted to the purchaser other than
as specified above.

TA I NSTRUMENTS TGA 2050 III
Table of Contents
Notes, Cautions, and Warnings ............... viii
Hotlines ........................................................ ix
Safety............................................................. x
Using This Manual ..................................... xii
CHAPTER 1: Introducing the 2050........ 1-1
Introduction................................................ 1-3
Components ............................................... 1-4
The 2050 Instrument................................... 1-6
Automatic Keypad Functions .............. 1-9
Front Panel lights ................................. 1-9
Accessories .............................................. 1-10
Gas Switching Accessory ................. 1-10
Other Accessories ............................. 1-10
Specifications........................................... 1-11
CHAPTER 2: Installing the 2050 ............ 2-1
Unpacking/Repacking the 2050 .................. 2-3
Unpacking the 2050 ............................. 2-3
Repacking the 2050.............................. 2-6
Installing the Instrument ............................ 2-7

TA I NSTRUMENTS TGA 2050 IV
Table of Contents
(continued)
Inspecting the System.......................... 2-8
Choosing a Location ........................... 2-9
Filling the Heat Exchanger................ 2-10
Connecting Cables and Lines............ 2-12
Heat Exchanger Cable
and Water Lines.......................... 2-12
GPIB Cable................................. 2-14
Purge Lines ................................. 2-17
Cooling Gas Line ........................ 2-19
Power Cable................................ 2-20
Unpacking the Balance ............................ 2-21
Installing the Hang-Down Wires....... 2-23
Aligning the Sample
Hang-Down Wire .............................. 2-27
Adjusting the Sample Platform ......... 2-31
Starting the 2050....................................... 2-32
Shutting Down the Instrument.................. 2-33
CHAPTER 3: Running
Experiments............................................... 3-1
Overview.................................................... 3-3
Before You Begin ............................... 3-4
Calibrating the TGA ................................... 3-5

TA I NSTRUMENTS TGA 2050 V
Table of Contents
(continued)
Temperature Calibration....................... 3-5
Weight Calibration ................................ 3-6
Running a TGA Experiment ....................... 3-6
Experimental Procedure ....................... 3-6
Preparing the Sample .......................... 3-7
Selecting Sample
and Tare Pans................................ 3-7
Taring the Sample Pan ................... 3-8
Automatic Tare ....................... 3-9
Manual Tare ............................ 3-9
Loading the Sample............................ 3-10
Setting Up an Experiment .................. 3-14
Setting Up Accessories ..................... 3-15
Using a Purge Gas....................... 3-15
Using the Air Cool Option.......... 3-18
Using the Gas Switching
Accessory .................................... 3-18
Starting an Experiment....................... 3-20
Stopping an Experiment ..................... 3-21
Unloading the Sample ................. 3-22
Use in an Oxygen-Free Atmosphere......... 3-23

TA I NSTRUMENTS TGA 2050 VI
Table of Contents
(continued)
Purge Gas System............................... 3-23
Instrument Setup ................................ 3-24
CHAPTER 4: Technical Reference......... 4-1
Description of the TGA 2050 .................... 4-3
Components.......................................... 4-5
Balance .......................................... 4-6
Sample Loading Assembly ............ 4-8
Furnace .......................................... 4-9
Cabinet......................................... 4-11
Heat Exchanger............................ 4-13
Theory of Operation ................................. 4-14
Status Codes ............................................ 4-15
CHAPTER 5: Maintenance
and Diagnostics ......................................... 5-1
Overview..................................................... 5-3
Routine Maintenance .................................. 5-4
Inspection ............................................. 5-4
Cleaning the Instrument Keypad.......... 5-4
Cleaning the Quartz
Furnace Tube........................................ 5-4

TA I NSTRUMENTS TGA 2050 VII
Table of Contents
(continued)
Heat Exchanger ....................................5-7
Maintaining Heat
Exchanger Coolant ........................5-7
Draining and Refilling the
Water Reservoir .............................5-7
Replacing the Thermocouple ....................5-10
Diagnosing Power Problems.....................5-12
Fuses ...................................................5-12
Power Failures.................................... 5-13
TGA 2050 Test Functions ........................5-14
The Confidence Test ..........................5-14
Replacement Parts .................................... 5-16
Appendix A: Ordering Information ..... A-1
Address List ............................................... A-1
Index............................................................ I-1

TA I NSTRUMENTS TGA 2050 VIII
Notes, Cautions,
and Warnings
This manual uses NOTES, CAUTIONS, and
WARNINGS to emphasize important and
critical instructions.
A NOTE highlights important information about
equipment or procedures.
A CAUTION emphasizes a procedure that may
damage equipment or cause loss of data if not
followed correctly.
A WARNING indicates a procedure that
may be hazardous to the operator or to the
environment if not followed correctly.
NOTE:
! WARNING
t CAUTION:

TA I NSTRUMENTS TGA 2050 IX
Hotlines
To TA Instruments Thermal Analysis
For Technical Assistance ........ [phone]
To Order Instruments and
Supplies .................................. [phone]
For Service Inquiries............... [phone]
General Information................ [phone]

TA I NSTRUMENTS TGA 2050 X
Safety
Electrical Safety
You must unplug the instrument before doing
any maintenance or repair work; voltages
exceeding 110 volts AC are present in this
system.
High voltages are present in this instru-
ment. If you are not trained in electrical
procedures, do not remove the cabinet
covers unless specifically instructed to do
so in the manual. Maintenance and repair
of internal parts must be performed only by
TA Instruments or other qualified service
personnel.
After transport or storage in humid condi-
tions, this equipment could fail to meet all
the safety requirements. Refer to the
NOTE on page 2-10 for the method used to
dry out the equipment before use.
Chemical Safety
Use only the purge gases listed in Table 1.2 in
Chapter 1. Use of other gases could cause
damage to the instrument or injury to the
operator.
Do not use hydrogen or any other explosive
gas in the TGA 2050 furnace.
If you are using samples that may emit
harmful gases, vent the gases by placing
the instrument near an exhaust.
! WARNING
! WARNING
! WARNING
! WARNING

TA I NSTRUMENTS TGA 2050 XI
Safety
(continued)
If you are routinely evaluating materials in the
TGA that lose a large amount of volatile
hydrocarbons (
e.g ., lubricating oils), you need
to clean the furnace more frequently to
prevent dangerous buildup of debris in the
furnace. This is particularly important if
oxygen is used as a purge gas in the TGA
2050. See Chapter 5 for instructions.
The TGA 2050 furnace assembly also
contains refractory ceramic fiber (RCF)
insulation. This insulation is enclosed
within the furnace housing. The furnace
housing should only be disassembled for
replacement of EGA furnace sample tube or
furnace assemblies. Refer to instructions
provided with the sample tube or furnace
replacement kits for procedures for han-
dling RCF insulation.
Thermal Safety
After running an experiment, allow the open
furnace and thermocouple to cool down before
you touch them.
During a sample run, the furnace base can
be hot enough to burn skin. Avoid contact
with the furnace base during experiments.
Mechanical Safety
Keep your fingers and all other objects out
of the path of the furnace when it is mov-
ing. The furnace seal is very tight.
! WARNING
! WARNING
! WARNING
! WARNING

TA I NSTRUMENTS TGA 2050 XII
Using This Manual
Chapter 1 Describes your TGA 2050
instrument and its
specifications.
Chapter 2 Describes how to connect
the TGA to the rest of
your system and how to
install the system.
Chapter 3 Describes how to run
TGA experiments.
Chapter 4 Provides technical
information on the
procedures described in
Chapter 5 and explains
principles of TGA opera-
tion.
Chapter 5 Describes how to perform
routine maintenance,
replace the thermocouple,
remove and reinstall the
furnace, and diagnose
power problems; also
provides an explanation
of the confidence test.
Appendix A Lists TA Instruments
offices that you can
contact to place orders,
receive technical assis-
tance, and request service.
Index Lists the page numbers of
important topics for your
reference.

TA I NSTRUMENTS TGA 2050 1–1
CHAPTER 1: Introducing the
TGA 2050
Introduction............................................. 1-3
Components ............................................ 1-4
The 2050 Instrument................................1-6
Automatic Keypad Functions............1-9
Front Panel lights ..............................1-9
Accessories ........................................... 1-10
Gas Switching Accessory............... 1-10
Other Accessories .......................... 1-10
Specifications........................................ 1-11

Introducing the TGA 2050
1–2 TA I NSTRUMENTS TGA 2050

TA I NSTRUMENTS TGA 2050 1–3
Introduction
Your TA Instruments Thermogravimetric
Analyzer (TGA) 2050 is a thermal weight-
change analysis instrument that can be used with
any of the TA Instruments PC-based controllers.
The TGA 2050 measures the amount and rate of
weight change in a material, either as a function
of increasing temperature, or isothermally as a
function of time, in a controlled atmosphere. It
can be used to characterize any material that
exhibits a weight change and to detect phase
changes due to decomposition, oxidation,or
dehydration. This information helps the scien-
tist or engineer identify the percent weight
change and correlate chemical structure, pro-
cessing, and end-use performance.
Your controller is a computer that performs the
following functions:
• Provides an interface between you and
the analysis instruments
• Enables you to set up experiments and
enter constants
• Stores experimental data
• Runs data analysis programs.
The TGA 2050 executes thermal experiments
that have been set up on the controller. See
Figure 1.1 on the next page for an illustration of
a TGA system.
Introduction

Introducing the TGA 2050
1–4 TA I NSTRUMENTS TGA 2050
Figure 1.1
Thermogravimetric
Analyzer (TGA) 2050 with
PC-Based TA Instruments
Thermal Analyzer
Components
The TGA 2050 has five major components,
illustrated in Figure 1.2:
• The balance, which provides precise
measurement of sample weight. The
balance is the key to the TGA system.
• The sample platform, which loads and
unloads the sample to and from the
balance.
• The furnace, which controls the sample
atmosphere and temperature.
• The cabinet, where the system
electronics and mechanics are housed.
• The heat exchanger, which dissipates
heat from the furnace.

TA I NSTRUMENTS TGA 2050 1–5
Figure 1.2
TGA 2050
Components
Introduction
Cabinet
Balance
Heat Exchanger
Furnace
Sample
Loading
Assembly

Introducing the TGA 2050
1–6 TA I NSTRUMENTS TGA 2050
The 2050 Instrument
The instrument keypad (Figure 1.3) contains
keys that control local operations at the instru-
ment (automatic balance tare, furnace elevator,
sample loading platform, and experiment start
and stop functions).
Figure 1.3
TGA 2050 Keypad
Table 1.1 explains the functions of the instru-
ment keys.
Experiment information and instrument constants
are entered from the controller keyboard, not the
instrument keypad.
NOTE:
Start Stop

TA I NSTRUMENTS TGA 2050 1–7
The 2050 Instrument
Table 1.1
Instrument Keypad
Function Keys Key/Function Explanation
TARE Zeros the weight of an
empty sample pan:
automatically loads the
pan from the sample
platform, raises the
furnace to protect the pan
from air currents, weighs
the pan, stores the weight
as an offset, and then
unloads the pan.
LOAD Loads a sample pan from
the sample platform onto
the balance.
UNLOAD Unloads the sample pan
from the balance onto the
sample platform.
FURNACE Toggles between the
furnace closed (up) and
furnace open (down)
functions, depending on
where the furnace is when
you press the key. This
key can be pressed while
the furnace is moving to
reverse the direction of
movement.
START Begins the experiment.
This is the same function
as Start on the controller.
(table continued)

Introducing the TGA 2050
1–8 TA I NSTRUMENTS TGA 2050
Table 1.1
Instrument Keypad
Function Keys
(continued)
Key/Function Explanation
STOP If an experiment is
running, this key ends the
method normally, as
though it had run to
completion; i.e., the
method-end conditions go
into effect, and the data
that has been generated is
saved. This is the same
function as Stop on the
controller.
If an experiment is not
running (the instrument is
in a stand-by or method-
end state), the STOP key
will halt any activity (air
cool, all mechanical
motion, etc.).