Patent ID: 6913383

Claim:
A method for thermally investigating a material, comprising exposing the material to a time controlled temperature profile, and measuring and evaluating a thermal response signal ( 400 ) representative of a resulting thermal response, said temperature profile including a succession in time of dynamic segments ( 204 , 205 , 206 ; 301 ) wherein a temperature is varied for an associated period of time, and of non-dynamic segments ( 200 , 201 , 202 , 203 ; 300 ) wherein a variation of said temperature is small in relation to a temperature variation in said dynamic segments for an associated period of time, each of said dynamic segments being interposed between two successive ones of said non-dynamic segments, wherein evaluating the measured thermal response signal ( 400 ) includes the use of response signal values measured during time periods associated with said dynamic segments ( 204 , 205 , 206 ; 301 ) to derive a heat capacity related information from said measured thermal response signal, further comprising using the response signal values measured during time periods associated with non-dynamic segments ( 200 , 201 , 202 , 203 ; 300 ) to derive a kinetic component ( 404 ) of said measured response signal ( 400 ).