The ABES instrument may be manufactured with the ability to run at temperatures up to 265°C (509°F) rather than the standard 155°C (311°F). This option enables thermal damage of bonds to be evaluated as functions of temperature and time (relevant both to in situ product production situations and in product service situations — including fire response evaluation). The derived data may be used in process simulation algorithms to estimate spatial distributions of thermal damage within products as they are being heated during production. It also enables specialized very-high temperature curing systems to be evaluated.
Further, the instrument may be used to explore the thermal properties of materials (without included bonds) by exposing specified zones to rapid contact heating. Load-deformation data may be collected under controlled loading functions in this case, and studies of thermal functions of plasticization and creep may be conducted. This offers a convenient alternative to slow and often cumbersome glove furnace installations on conventional testing frames where poor control of heating dynamics is often a major limitation. The method is particularly well suited to thin or heat diffusive samples where rapid thru-heating may be affected.
