Grant: Research Tools and Instruments

<p>This research tools and instruments application is for Simultaneous Thermal Analyzer equipped with IR detector (STA-IR) equipment to analyze thermal properties of novel materials that are produced in the applicants laboratories. STA is consist of a TGA and a DSC (thermogravimetric analyzer and differential scanning calorimeter) and is an essential characterization tool in synthetic inorganic, organic, polymer and materials chemistry. The instrument can simultaneously measure thermal transitions (T_g, T_m, T_lc, &Delta;H, etc) through the DSC part as well as thermal decomposition (by mass loss vs. temperature) through the TGA part. Moreover, the coupled infrared spectrometer analyzes the evolved gases from TGA analysis to enhance collected data and provide key insight into the mechanisms of thermal degradation of polymers, biomaterials, electronic materials and etc. STA-IR is a very important method used in material sciences to evaluate the thermal behavior of novel materials. Many of the properties of materials are dependent on their thermal stability and the data obtain from STA-IR can help applicants to design more robust materials with improved thermal properties. The current instrument at the chemistry department of UBC has been inoperable since mid-2014 (more than one year). All the attempts to repair the existing instrument have been unsuccessful. This has hindered applicants ability to maintain their international research competitiveness at the highest levels. This new instrument would be installed in the UBC-chemistry Shared Instrument Facility (SIF) and would be available for use by around 250 HQP trainees in the department, particularly, but not limited to those in the groups of the applicants.<br /> The proposed acquisitions will result in a state-of-the-art STA-IR facility containing the latest technology for comprehensive thermal analysis and identifying the gaseous evolved products formed from thermal degradation. A delay in acquiring this equipment will seriously hinder progress on both fundamental and applied research projects being carried out in the applicants labs, most of which are supported by other NSERC grants and/or Canadian corporations. Given that STA-IR is a tool for inorganic, organic, material and polymer chemistry to identify the thermal properties of materials, exposure to such instrumentation forms a critical component in the training of HQP in these areas. Therefore, the skills obtained with this equipment in the SIF at UBC-chemistry will be transferable to their future careers in government, industry or academia whether in Canada or elsewhere.</p>