Effect of Mass and Temperature Rate on the Thermal Properties of High-Density Polyethylene Using Differential Scanning Calorimetry

Abstract

Mass and heating rates alter the thermal properties, molecular structure, and phase changes of the materials. This study aimed to investigate the influence of sample mass (10-30 mg) and heating rate (4-15 °C/min) on the thermal characteristics of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The experiments were conducted in two cycles. In the first cycle, samples of different masses (10-30 mg) were heated to 180 °C followed by cooling at a constant heating rate of 10 °C/min with a mass flow rate of 20 ml/min of purging gas (nitrogen). In the second cycle, a sample mass of 15 mg was used to investigate the thermal characteristics while varying the temperature rates (4, 6, 8, 10, and 15 °C/min). It was concluded that the variation in sample mass significantly affected the thermal properties of HDPE, leading to a slight increase in the melting temperature and latent heat, which shifted towards higher temperatures. In contrast, the temperature rate caused a reduction in the latent heat and crystallization temperatures. The thermograms obtained from the experiments provided insight into the thermal behavior of HDPE under different conditions, and the findings emphasized the importance of carefully considering the effects of mass and temperature rate when measuring the thermal properties of HDPE.