DTAkäyränä

DTAkäyränä, often translated as "DTA curve" or "DTA plot," refers to a graphical representation of data obtained from Differential Thermal Analysis (DTA). Differential Thermal Analysis is a thermoanalytical technique that measures the difference in temperature between a sample and a reference material as a function of temperature or time. This difference arises when the sample undergoes a physical or chemical change, such as melting, crystallization, or a phase transition, which absorbs or releases heat. The DTA curve plots this temperature difference (ΔT) on the vertical axis against the temperature or time on the horizontal axis.

Exothermic processes, where heat is released, are typically depicted as a peak below the baseline of the DTA curve. Conversely, endothermic processes, which absorb heat, are represented by a peak above the baseline. The shape, position, and magnitude of these peaks provide valuable information about the thermal events occurring within the sample. For instance, the onset temperature of a peak can indicate the starting point of a reaction or transition, while the peak area is often proportional to the enthalpy change of the process. DTA is widely used in materials science, chemistry, and geology for material characterization, purity assessment, and studying reaction kinetics.