DHC (DeHydroChlorinator) is an analytical system used for the automatic determination of the thermostability of PVDC (polyvinylidene chloride) and related polymers. When subjected to elevated temperatures, these polymers decompose and release gaseous HCl. The released HCl is carried by a stream of nitrogen into a measuring cell containing distilled water, where it is detected by measuring the change in conductivity. The key parameter determined is the stability time, defined as the time required for the conductivity in the measuring vessel to increase by 50 µS/cm.

• Thermal stability testing