Patent ID: 6390674
Filing Date: 2002-05-21
Classification: G01N

Abstract:
A thermal analysis apparatus capable of accurately measuring the temperature of a sample while the sample is being heated without contacting the sample with a temperature detector, comprising: a reference having the same size and shape of the sample and having a known relationship between temperature and variations in a specific physical property thereof; a furnace for heating the sample and the reference over time, the sample and the reference being symmetrically disposed within the furnace; physical property measuring means for measuring changes in the physical property of the sample and the reference continuously over time; and a reference physical property value-temperature converter for converting a physical property measurement of the reference taken at each of a plurality of times into a temperature of the reference at the respective times so that the temperature of the reference represents the temperature of the sample so that thermal analysis of the sample may be conducted without using a temperature sensor in contact with or in the vicinity of the sample.