HSM is used for studying the softening of the materials. It is able to detect automatically the characteristic temperature of the materials, such as softening, sphere, half-sphere and melting, during a heating process.

It is indispensable for the development of new glazes, frits or raw materials. It is used in the ceramic industry to study the softening of the glazes/frits.

The data acquired during the test can be used to obtain the material flattening curve, the contact angle curve, the specimen area variation curve and the viscosity curve. It is possible to extrapolate the values of the viscosity of a molten glass using the information from the Heating Microscope HSM and from the Optical Dilatometer ODHT or ODLT.

Once obtained the temperatures of glass transition, softening and half sphere, the viscosity calculation can be performed applying the VFT equation. Surface tension values at high temperatures and the calculation of the surface tension is made possible.