Thermomechanical analysis involves a number of different techniques that measure different mechanical properties as some function of temperature. Thermomechanometry involves the measurement of the change in dimensions or some mechanical property of a sample while under mechanical stress as a function of its temperature. Thermodilatometry is the measurement of sample dimensional change with temperature in the absence of any applied force. In thermomechanometry the force can be applied in a static manner or the force can be applied as a dynamic process (i.e. the force is increased or decreased as some function of time) while at a constant temperature or a programmed temperature. The force may be also applied as a frequency pulse and the waveform of the dimensional change examined as a function of temperature.
The different forms of thermomechanical analysis will now be considered individually.