Automatic humidity step control thermal analysis apparatus

Abstract

An automatic humidity step control thermal analysis apparatus has a detector for detecting and measuring a physical property of a sample and for generating a physical property signal corresponding to the physical property of the sample. The sample is housed in a sample chamber which is capable of controlling the temperature and humidity of the sample. A water chamber generates water vapor at a preselected temperature and is capable of controlling the temperature of water in the water chamber in a stepwise manner. A heat insulating pipe directs water vapor from the water chamber to the sample chamber and includes a heater for preventing dew condensation. A signal stability determination circuit receives a physical property signal from the detector and generates a trigger signal when a rate of change of the physical property signal drops below a preselected reference value. A control device controls the temperature of water in the water chamber in a stepwise manner in accordance with the trigger signal generated by the signal stability determination circuit to thereby adjust the humidity of the sample chamber in a stepwise manner.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.