Designation: E3433 −24
Standard Practice for
Glass Transition Temperature Reference Values
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This standard is issued under the fixed designation E3433; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year of
original adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision. A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval. A
superscript epsilon (´) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.
1. Scope
1.1 It is the purpose of this practice to provide accepted
reference values for the glass transition temperature that may
be used for evaluation of dynamic mechanical analysis
methods, apparatus, and software.
NOTE 1—Suggested additional or alternative reference materials or
values are requested and may be submitted to the E37 Staff Manager at
ASTM International, West Conshohocken PA for consideration.
1.2 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as
standard. No other units of measurement are included in this
standard.
1.3 This standard does not purport to address all of the
safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the
responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appro-
priate safety, health, and environmental practices and deter-
mine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.
1.4 This international standard was developed in accor-
dance with internationally recognized principles on standard-
ization established in the Decision on Principles for the
Development of International Standards, Guides and Recom-
mendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical
Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.
2. Referenced Documents
2.1 ASTM Standards:
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D4092 Terminology for Plastics: Dynamic Mechanical
Properties
E473 Terminology Relating to Thermal Analysis and Rhe-
ology
E1142 Terminology Relating to Thermophysical Properties
E1640 Test Method for Assignment of the Glass Transition
Temperature By Dynamic Mechanical Analysis
E2161 Terminology Relating to Performance Validation in
Thermal Analysis and Rheology
E3142 Test Method for Thermal Lag of Thermal Analysis
Apparatus
3. Terminology
3.1 Definitions:
3.1.1 Specific technical terms used in this practice are
defined in Terminologies D4092,E473,E1142, and E2161
including: bias,calibration,Celsius,certified reference
material,differential scanning calorimetry,dynamic mechani-
cal analysis,dynamic mechanical measurement,extrapolated
onset value,frequency,glass transition,glass transition
temperature,loss modulus,peak,storage modulus,reference
material,standard reference material,tan delta,tangent delta,
and temperature.
3.1.2 accepted reference value, n—a value that serves as an
agreed upon reference for comparison and which is derived as
either a theoretical or established value, based on scientific
principles or an assigned value based on experimental work.
4. Summary of Practice
4.1 The glass transition, where an amorphous material
changes from an amorphous solid state into a liquidy or
rubbery one, takes place over a temperature range. The glass
transition temperature is a temperature taken to represent that
temperature range. The glass transition temperature is a func-
tion of the thermal history, test frequency, the heating rate, and
position on thermal curve assigned (see Test Method E3142
and Appendix X1).
4.2 In dynamic mechanical analysis, the glass transition
temperature may be assigned in at least three ways—as the
extrapolated onset in the sigmoidal change in storage modulus,
as the peak of the loss modulus signal, or as the peak of the
tangent delta signal (see Test Method E1640). Each of these
temperatures are offset from each other.
4.3 Temperature calibration of dynamic mechanical analyz-
ers may be performed using known glass transition values.
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This practice is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee E37 on Thermal
Measurements and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee E37.02 on Refer-
ence Materials.
Current edition approved Aug. 1, 2024. Published August 2024. DOI: 10.1520/
E3433-24.
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For referenced ASTM standards, visit the ASTM website, www.astm.org, or
contact ASTM Customer Service at www.astm.org/contact. For Annual Book of
ASTM Standards volume information, refer to the standard’s Document Summary
page on the ASTM website.
Copyright © ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, PO Box C700, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959. United States
This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the
Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.
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