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The concept of dehumidification dates
back to World War II when it was used by the Navy to mothball ships
to maintain them in the ‘as is’ conditions. However, the
advent of new technologies and new products has widened the scope
of this field to extensive industrial applications with the result
that many areas of high technology cannot function today without
a controlled climate.
The uses of dry air are almost as limitless as the ingenuity of
man. However this is normally availed in 4 general areas ......
... Storage
... Production & Processing
... Packaging
... Product Drying
Storage
Agglomeration, damp, rot, mold, rust and corrosion are enemies of
goods in storage-caused by excessive humidity. Generally speaking,
if the relative humidity is less than 40% these processes remain
dormant.
Bry-Air dehumidifiers have been successfully controlling humidity
in the storage applications in ........
Defence Storage
Bry Air dehumidifiers are being used in defence installations worldwide
to store :-
* Tanks * Electronic systems
* Arms & ammunition * Fuel storage
* Airplanes * Maps and Records
* Ships * Spares parts and
* Missiles replacement equipment
The demands of a good storage system is the maintaining of objects
and machinery in ‘as is’ condition. Bry-Air equipment
fulfills all criteria of good storage -
* Availability
* Reliability
* Low energy costs
* Protection in all climates
Hygroscopic raw material storage
Certain materials have strong affinity for water and require very
low moisture contents during storage.
Hygroscopic materials like alkali metal compounds or nitrogen based
fertilizers are subject to moisture regain in presence of high humidity.
Storage of most of these products requires 40% RH.
Archival storage
Colour films must be stored at -10°F (-23.33°C) and 0°F
(-17.78°C) and 30% RH. Libraries and museums must keep their
atmosphere at 50% RH. Microfilms are stored at 70°F (20.11°C)
and 30% RH.
Seed storage
Seeds can be stored effectively at 45% RH at 50°F (10.00°C)
preserving their seed viability and germination potential using
Bry-Air dehumidifiers.
Tobacco storage can be done best with conditions at 67°F (19.44°C)
and 50% RH.
Production / Processing
In manufacturing and processing of certain items like drugs, foods
and industrial chemicals, moisture control is imperative.
Production of Drugs
The presence or absence of a specific amount of moisture in the
processing area may be mandatory for growth of certain organic cultures.
Tablets compression, tablet coating, capsule drying, gelatine drying,
strip packing and cough drops manufacturing are some of the operations
in which humidity control becomes imperative.
Production of Chemicals
Atmospheric moisture is the natural enemy of many grinding and pulverizing
operations water vapour in conjunction with the product makes the
material resilient and therefore difficult to grind.
Lumping and caking of powdered substances due to the presence of
moisture is a major problem in the production of industrial chemicals.
In some instances chemical reactions result in a change in the final
product and some chemicals decompose in presence of water vapour.
Production of Foods
The hygroscopic nature of certain food stuffs makes the presence
of humidity detrimental to quality. Potato chips, dry breakfast
cereals, biscuits etc. after manufacture tend to absorb moisture
from the air and become soggy.
Production of Lithium Chloride Batteries
The Lithium Battery is a classic example of a product that simply
could not be produced without desiccant dehumidification.
The affinity of lithium for moisture and its instability in the
presence of water would make the entire technology impossible without
efficient atmospheric moisture control.
In the General Industry
Manufacture under controlled RH conditions has proved highly beneficial
to quality for some of these products :
* Electronic Components
* Film and photographic material
* Radial Tyres
* Welding electrodes
* Laminations
Production of Dry Process Air may be a requirement as opposed to
conditioning a total space.
Electronic Industry
The inner surface of open ended glass
television and fluorescent lighting tubes is coated by allowing
slurry to wash down the inside of the tube. The tubes are then transferred
to drying ovens where the coating is allowed to bake and harden.
The tubes are then removed and allowed to cool. During cooling,
moisture causes imperfections to develop in the coating and quality
is diminished.
By incorporating a Bry-Air system and forcing cool, dry air through
the tubes after being removed from the oven, the quality problem
can be solved.
Food Industry
Dry air is used to process certain powdery foods such as cocoas,
gelatines, dehydrated concentrates preventing them to stick or cluster
together.
Packaging
Humidity control in Packaging Equipment Rooms
Candy wrapping machines, packaging machines for food powders and
drug packets do not often function properly if the surrounding air
is humid.
Depending upon the product, it may be necessary to dry the packaging
room or provide a dry bath for storage bins or hoppers. This is
particularly true for powdered materials.
In some situations in which package
sealing is accomplished with heat the moisture content of the container
itself may adversely affect the adhesion of the sealing material
being used.
Surrounding the area with dry air is the answer.
Product Drying
Dehumidification plays an important role in product drying.
Drying potentials can be increased in two ways. First, by raising
the product temperature by exposing it to heated air and second
by physically removing moisture from the surrounding air.
In the first instance, elevating temperatures may impair the quality
of the products which are temperature sensitive and the drying potential
is limited by the specific humidity of the outside air.
The Bry-Air dehumidifier by maintaining the air at a lower moisture
level see that moisture within the product is released to the surrounding
air and hence increase the drying potential and thereby the drying
rate.
Bry-Air specializes in product drying at temperatures below 75°F
(23.89°C).
The application of low temperature product drying extends to drying
a myriad of products like :
* Seeds
* Soft gelatine capsules
* Gelatine
* Yeast
* Tobacco
* Tea
* Coffee
* Silk
* Foods
* Cocoa
* Wood
* Craft paper shells.
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