Method and apparatus for thermally investigating a material

1. 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 ).

2. A method according to claim 1 , comprising selecting in each associated time period said response signal values used to derive the kinetic component ( 404 ) among those measured at times later than a time distance from the start of each associated time period, said time distance being selected so as to essentially reduce transitional effects from transitions between successive dynamic and non-dynamic segments.

3. A method according to claim 2 , comprising selecting in each associated time period said response signal values used to derive a heat capacity related information among those measured at times later than the time distance from the start of each associated time period, said time distance being selected so as to essentially reduce transitional effects from transitions between successive non-dynamic and dynamic segments.

4. A method according to claim 3 , comprising interpolating said response signal measured values used to derive said kinetic component and/or said heat capacity related information so as to produce an essentially continuous curve representation for said kinetic component and/or heat capacity related information.

5. A method according to claim 1 , comprising exposing a reference material to said temperature profile and determining a signal representative of the difference between the measured thermal responses associated with the material to be investigated and the reference material and using said signal as said signal representative of the resulting thermal response.

6. A method according to claim 1 , comprising measuring a signal representative of a thermal response associated with said non-dynamic segments when no material is exposed to said temperature profile and using said signal to define a baseline signal which is subtracted from said signal representative of a resulting thermal response when the material is exposed to said temperature profile to thereby form a baseline corrected signal, said evaluation making use of said baseline corrected signal.

7. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the time periods associated with the non-dynamic segments are of varying lengths.

8. A method according to claim 7 , characterized in that the lengths of the time periods associated with the non-dynamic segments vary as a function of said temperature or a quantity derived from said temperature.

9. A method according to claim 7 , wherein the lengths of time periods associated with the non-dynamic segments vary as a function of the measured response signal or a quantity derived from said response signal.

10. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the non-dynamic segments have temperature values, and wherein the temperature values of the non-dynamic segments vary as a function of the measured response signal or a quantity derived from said response signal.

11. A method according to claim 1 , wherein a rate of variation of the temperature associated with said dynamic segments is a function of the measured response signal or a quantity derived from said response signal.

12. A method according to claim 1 , wherein said measured response signal is indicative of heat flow.

13. A method according to claim 5 , wherein the difference between a resulting temperature of said material to be investigated and a resulting temperature of said reference material, while said material to be investigated and said reference material are exposed to said temperature profile, is measured and used as said signal representative of the resulting thermal response.

14. A method according to claim 5 , wherein, while exposing said material to be investigated and said reference material to said temperature profile, heating powers applied to each of said material to be investigated and said reference material are controlled so as to cause the difference between a resulting temperature of said material to be investigated and a resulting temperature of said reference material to approach zero, and a signal representing a resulting difference between the heating powers applied to said material to be investigated and said reference material is used as a resulting response signal.

15. A method according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of said non-dynamic segments is an isothermal segment wherein said temperature is kept constant for the associated period of time.

16. An apparatus for thermally investigating a material, the apparatus comprising

a source of thermal energy ( 1 ),

a controller ( 18 ) for controlling a temperature of said source ( 1 ) in accordance with a time controlled temperature profile including a succession in time of dynamic segments ( 204 , 205 , 206 ; 301 ), wherein said 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 successive ones of said non-dynamic segments,

a sample holder having a sample position ( 7 ) adapted to receive a sample of a material to be investigated, said sample position being thermally coupled to said source ( 1 ) for allowing heat flow therebetween,

a device for measuring temperature data indicative of said heat flow associated with said sample position, and for issuing a corresponding heat flow signal,

a processor for receiving said heat flow signal, said processor being programmed to derive a heat capacity related information from values of said heat flow signal ( 400 ) measured during time periods associated with said dynamic segments,

wherein said processor is programmed to derive a kinetic signal component ( 404 ) from values of said heat flow signal ( 400 ) measured during time periods associated with said non-dynamic segments.

17. An apparatus according to claim 16 , comprising a reference holder having a reference position ( 8 ) adapted to receive a reference material, said reference position being thermally coupled to said source for allowing heat flow therebetween, said temperature data measuring device being adapted to measure temperature data associated with said sample and reference positions, and for issuing a signal representative of a difference between the heat flows associated with said sample and reference, said processor being programmed to use a difference signal to derive said heat capacity related information and said kinetic signal component.

18. An apparatus for performing the method of claim 14 , comprising

a sample holder having a sample position adapted to receive a sample of a material to be investigated, said sample position being thermally coupled to a first source of thermal energy,

a reference holder having a reference position adapted to receive a reference material, said reference position being thermally coupled to a second source of thermal energy, a device for measuring a difference between a temperature at said sample position and a temperature at said reference position,

a controller for controlling heating powers of said first and second sources of thermal energy so as to cause said difference between said temperatures to approach zero, and to cause said sample and reference positions to be exposed to a time controlled temperature profile including a succession in time of dynamic segments ( 204 , 205 , 206 ; 301 ),

wherein a temperature value of said temperature profile is varied for an associated period of time and of non-dynamic segments ( 200 , 201 , 202 , 203 ; 300 ) wherein a variation of said temperature value is small in relation to a temperature value variation in said dynamic segments for an associated period of time, each of said dynamic segments being interposed between successive ones of said non-dynamic segments,

a processor for receiving a signal indicative of a difference between the heating powers of said first and second sources of thermal energy, said processor being programmed to derive a heat capacity related information from values of a difference signal measured during time periods associated with said dynamic segments,

wherein said processor is programmed to derive a kinetic component from values of said difference signal measured during time periods associated with said non-dynamic segments.