Practical approach to thermally stimulated discharge (TSD) method on polymers

The paper deals with the thermally stimulated discharge current (TSD or TSDC) method; exclusively with the short circuited one. Because of its low effective frequency, TSD has excellent resolving power. Problems both of measurement and of the evaluation are analyzed. The effects of experimental circumstances and theoretical considerations are demonstrated by results on different polymers and model calculations as well. In order to get reliable results, the sample preparation must be performed carefully. It is particularly valid in case of solution cast samples. The depolarization curve of a real polymer is always complex, consisting of superimposed relaxation processes. This fact causes unexpected problems in the evaluation. Heating rate slightly affects the peak separation; however, high heating rate might produce thermal inhomogeneity in the sample.