Thermomechanical, Dynamic Mechanical and Dielectric Methods

The dimensional and mechanical stability of materials is of paramount importance to their use in the everyday world where they may encounter a wide variation in temperature through design or by accident. Many polymers are processed at elevated temperatures so as to enable them to flow and be more amenable to fabrication. Food items are cooked, pasteurised or otherwise heated or frozen. Ceramics are fired so as to consolidate their final structure. The relationship between a material's dimensional and mechanical properties and its temperature is studied by the techniques described within this chapter and, due to common concepts, the effect of heat on the electrical properties of materials is also considered.