Thermal Mechanical Analysis (TMA)

TMA is a technique with which a dimension of a substance under negligible load is measured as a function of temperature in a specified atmosphere. TMA is often used to determine the (linear) coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of a material. Measurements are performed with a Perkin Elmer Diamond TMA.
Thermal transitions such as Tg can also be measured. Using a specific penetration probe, the softening point of a material can be evaluated as well.