Infrared heated differential thermal analyzer

Abstract

The present invention is an infrared-heated differential thermal analyzing instrument. The instrument uses an actively cooled heat sink, and a heat flow restricting element connecting the heat sink to a differential thermal analysis sensor. An IR heater directs IR radiation onto the lateral surfaces of the heat sink and the heat flow restricting element. These lateral surfaces are polished and coated with a high IR reflectance coating, so that heat absorption is minimized. The IR heater preferably uses either elliptical or parabolic mirrors to focus the IR radiation onto the heat sink and the heat flow restricting element. A second embodiment of the invention uses two heat sinks, and two heat flow restricting elements, with one heat sink and one heat flow restricting element mounted on either side of the differential analysis thermal sensor.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.