Measuring thermal expansion and thermal contraction coefficients of viscoelastic materials

Abstract

Determining a coefficient of thermal expansion or contraction of a sample includes coupling a strain gauge to a first location of the sample, coupling a thermocouple to a second location of the sample, placing the sample in a temperature-controlled chamber, increasing a temperature of the temperature-controlled chamber from a first temperature to a second temperature in a first cycle, increasing a temperature of the temperature-controlled chamber from a third temperature to a fourth temperature in a second cycle, assessing an average strain of the sample and an average temperature of the sample during the first cycle and the second cycle, and dividing a difference in the average strain of the sample between the first cycle and the second cycle by a difference in the average temperature of the sample between the first cycle and the second cycle to yield the coefficient of thermal expansion or contraction.

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