Furnace heating rate:

At a given temperature, the degree of decomposition is greater the slower the heating rate, and thus it follows in which the shape of the TG curve could be influenced through the heating rate. For a single stage endothermic reaction it has been found that:

i) (Ti)F > (Ti)S

ii) (Tf)F   > (Tf)S

iii) (Tf -Ti)F > ( Tf -Ti )S

where subscripts F and S denotes fast and slow heating rate correspondingly. For instance, calcium carbonate would not show any mass loss below 600 °C, while heated within a thermobalance at heating rate of 3 °C per min., and yet it is known in which CO₂ is evolved at 250 °C. As same, polystyrene decomposes 10% through mass while heating rate is 1 °C per min by 357 °C and 10% through mass while heating rate is 5 °C per min through 394 °C. More specifically, it is observed in which the procedural decomposition temperature T_i, and also T_f (the procedural final temperature) will decrease along with decrease in heating rate and the TG curve will be shifted to the left. This effect is described in Figure. The appearance of an inflection in a TG curve at a fast heating rate may well be resolved into a plateau at a slower heating rate. Thus, in TGA there is neither optimum no standard heating rate, but a heating rate of 3°C per min. gives a TG curve along with maximum meaningful resolution.