A MISURA heating microscope characterizes the thermal behavior of powder compacts in situ during heating up to 1600° C, with ramp rates up to 80° C/minute. The microscope measures the thermal expansion, softening temperature, shrinkage, melt viscosity, surface tension and contact angle on various substrates. Sample images collected during heating reveal the sintering, flow and wetting behavior. A spectrophotometer is also available for optical property and color measurements of surfaces, using standard light sources and color systems.