2.3. SELECTION OF THE TEMPERATURE (OR TIME) RANGE FOR THE EVALUATION OF THE RECORDED SIGNALS

The experimental data range for kinetic evaluation can be selected by moving the cursors with the mouse. Activate the cursor by clicking on the button


The selected curve appears now in red. You can select any curve by clicking on the spinbutton:


Just place the mouse pointer on the spinbutton and click the left mouse button. The spinbutton moves towards the desired curve number and simultaneously the selected curve is displayed in red on the plot. The evaluation range can be selected by moving the cursor with the mouse on the plot and clicking the left mouse button to set the left and right limits of the signal.




Figure: The selection of the evaluation range should contain the part of the signals before and after the occurrence of the thermal effects (units of S(T) = [mW/mg]).

Once done you can reactivate the cursor by positioning the mouse pointer on the left or right red limit. If the line is hit, the mouse pointer changes from an arrow into a hand point. Just click on the left mouse button and readjust the limit as desired. Repeat the selection of the left and right limit for all curves. The notation ‘Done’ appears in blue at the right of the spinbutton ‘Curve selection’ once both the right and the left limits of the signal have been set (see red arrow). When all signals have been examined, the note ‘Ready for baseline and kinetics’ appears in blue on the right top corner of the plot (see red arrow).



Once all signals are cut, clicking again on the button ‘Cut signals’ changes its state from the ‘Down’ to ‘Up’ . The ‘Up’ state presents all signals after removal of the baseline before and after the occurrence of the thermal effects:


 
Recommendations: The experimental data ranges for kinetic evaluation should not be chosen too large. The data range of each curve can be set slightly larger or smaller at any time by clicking again on the button ‘Cut signals’ that presents the left and right limits of the selected points. Positioning the mouse pointer on the left or right red limit enables one to shift them slightly to change the selection as desired. Do not hesitate to make use of the button ‘zoom’ to be as precise as possible. Also do not hesitate to remove points which might correspond to some artefacts and will influence negatively the subsequent baseline, kinetic evaluation, and finally the predictions.

Note concerning the X-axis: Time or temperature scaling can be chosen for displaying the non-isothermal experimental data over the X-axis. For isothermal or stepwise experimental data only the time-scaled display is possible. The X-axis can be adjusted by using the button:

X axis: temperature.

X axis: time.