DIL806 - Optical Dilatometer

TA Instruments’ DIL 806 optical dilatometer is a versatile device that is specifically developed for thermal expansion and contraction measurements. It can be used for measuring the full lengths of thin, irregularly-shaped soft samples without contact.

The DIL 806 comprises a high- performance LED for emitting a wide width planar, diffuse, and collimated light beam onto a sample. The sample shadow is optically refined using a filter and lens unit prior to being registered by a high- resolution CCD sensor.

The detected signal is tested by a digital edge-detection processor, which provides a sensitive and accurate measurement of dimensional change. This principle is referred to as the shadowed light process and provides an exact and absolute measurement of the sample dimension with changing temperature.

The optical measurement process is absolute as it is fully independent of the thermal contraction or expansion of the device. The dilatometer is integrated with a rapid-response DIL806 furnace, thus making the device ideal for dynamic processes involving dynamic heating rates and multiple temperature steps.

The sample is placed in the center of the disc-shaped furnace on a platform without any external forces being exerted on the sample. This technique is ideal for simple measurement of plastic samples, thin samples, and solid-liquid-solid phase. Thin samples and other samples that might be affected by a solid-liquid-solid transition are well supported or contained in sample holders made for this function.

Key Features

The main features of the DIL 806 optical dilatometer are as follows:

Easy to operate

Optical non-contact dilatometer

Can handle temperatures of -160 to 1400°C

Advanced furnace for complex processes

Measured results do not need to be corrected or calibrated for system thermal expansion

Initial length is automatically determined and saved for later calculation of the linear thermal expansion coefficient

Can be integrated with a robotic automation unit

Sample need not be positioned precisely on the platform due to the wide width of the incident line, thus improving usability for all operators

Suitable for testing rate-controlled-sintering (RCS) processes in ceramics