In an oscillation shear experiment, the material is subjected to either a sinusoidal strain or stress and the corresponding response is measured. The ratio of the output and input signals is referred to as the transfer function or material function (Figure 1). When a sinusoidal deformation or deformation rate is applied, the material’s response is the stress. The resulting material function is either the modulus or the viscosity; if a stress is applied and the strain measured, the material function is the compliance.

Modulated DSC is a powerful tool for materials characterization. Like any other precision technique, failure to use the optimum experimental conditions can result in sub-par performance. Following the suggestions listed in this paper should help you to design your MDSC experiment so that you derive the highest quality data.