The issue with humidity

Any combination of airborne moisture and oxygen is a fertile basis for metal corrosion. Iron and steel rust and loose structural integrity, while copper and brass are susceptible to oxidation, affecting the reliability and durability of both electronics and electrical equipment.

Such corrosion can cause serious damage to all kinds of structures, surfaces and equipment, reducing efficiency and shortening service life, as well as pushing up service and maintenance costs.

When relative humidity reaches a level of about 60%, corrosion flourishes. As humidity increases past this point, the rate of corrosion normally increases exponentially. On the other hand, it is virtually impossible for any normal form of corrosion to occur in clean air with a relative humidity of 45% or less.

Mould, fungi and bacterial growths of all kinds occur easily in environments where the relative humidity is high – the humidity helps give them the best conditions in which to spread and flourish.

Hygroscopic materials such as timber, plaster and other building materials have a natural tendency to absorb such humidity. This can give rise to many kinds of mould and rot, affecting structural integrity, value, usability and appearance.

Such growths can then result in significant damage to buildings, materials and products. They also represent a significant health risk for any staff, customers, visitors or other people present within the space.

When there’s lot of moisture in the air and you have no control over it, it’s really a problem waiting to find somewhere to manifest itself.

In low-temperature surroundings, the airborne moisture easily turns into condensation and then into ice. Ice then builds up on surfaces, fixtures and equipment and becomes a major bugbear in day-to-day operations – often giving rise to both hygiene and safety issues as well as requiring expensive, manpower-intensive remedial measures. Ice also accumulates on evaporators and causes increased energy consumption.

The formation of ice often also means stored goods and their packaging get wet and damaged, resulting in product losses and dissatisfied customers.

Moisture and electricity are never a good combination. High levels of moisture in the air – humidity – can often result in faults and operating glitches in electrical installations and sensitive electronics, resulting in many kinds of possible damage and interruptions to service.

Such problems and glitches impact uptime and operational reliability as well as increasing service/maintenance and repair costs.

Uncontrolled humidity often has significant effects on powders and granulates of all kinds – they have an exceptionally large surface area in contact with the surrounding air.

When that air contains large – and/or uncontrolled – levels of moisture, these powders and granulate have a natural tendency to form lumps and clumps.

This in turn affects quality and can cause serious blockages, downtime and repairs in processing equipment. Resulting hygiene issues can provide fertile breeding grounds for bacteria, as well as seriously affecting many kinds of certification and quality approval.

This kind of problem is particularly prevalent in food processing and pharmaceuticals manufacture, but also affects virtually kind of business in which powders and granulates are involved.

In most parts of the world, ambient air conditions fluctuate significantly from one season to another.

Climate change is also resulting in increased uncertainty about weather conditions and the specifications of the air inside and around manufacturing facilities, business premises, residential accommodations and leisure venues.

Seasonal fluctuations in humidity result in inconsistent conditions that can in turn have big effects on product quality, energy consumption and profit margin, as well as overall quality of life.

Unpredictable, fluctuating conditions and lack of control over key operating parameters are never good for business operations.