S&T

Under ambient conditions, materials continuously interact with moisture and volatile substances.

When exposed to heat or strong airflow across their surface, materials undergo some form of drying. How well a material withstands rapid transitions between wetted and dry (hydrated/dehydrated) states is a strong indicator of its stability.

When volatile substances are removed from a solid surface, fragile crystalline structures may collapse, surface energy may change, and the hydration state of the solid may shift — all of which can significantly affect surface area.

Because the degree of wettability and interaction with moisture can substantially alter the function and performance of a material, continuous monitoring of wettability and dry-ability is becoming increasingly important.

Pharmaceuticals

The final hydration state of a pharmaceutical substance can influence a wide range of physicochemical properties, including physical and chemical stability.

For example, the hydration state of crystalline materials is a particularly important consideration in the pharmaceutical industry. Some hydrated substances convert to an amorphous state upon dehydration, and different hydrate forms can affect solubility, dissolution rate, flowability, and compressibility.

These factors influence every stage of pharmaceutical development — from initial formulation design to solid dosage form development, packaging, and storage. Dynamic Vapor Sorption (DVS) offers a rapid and accurate method for measuring the formation and loss of channel hydrates.

Application Note 36: Investigation of Hydrate Formation and Loss Using DVS. [Request a copy] Application Note 59: Investigation of Channel Hydrate Formation and Loss Using the DVS. [Request a copy] Application Note 501: Environmental Microscopy using the GenRH-A Humidity Generator and Mcell Accessory. [Request a copy]

Foods and Fine Chemicals

The moisture sorption properties of food are critical to shelf life and storage stability.

In particular, for materials vulnerable to temperature changes or humidity shocks — such as crackers or noodles — excessive moisture uptake can lead to texture degradation, dissolution issues, caking, and even mold growth. Foods can absorb large amounts of moisture, causing them to dissolve or lose structural integrity, which reduces marketability.

Dynamic Vapor Sorption (DVS) technology is highly effective for analyzing the physicochemical behavior of specific food products.

Application Note 03: Polymorphism in Spray Dried Lactose. [Request a copy] Application Note 503: Investigating Dried Milk Powders Using Optical Microscopy at Different Humidity Conditions. [Request a copy]

Personal Care Products

Moisture content is one of the most important factors governing the properties of skin and hair fibers. Under ambient conditions, human hair can absorb up to 35% of its own weight in moisture before reaching full saturation.

Bleaching, exposure to heat, and exposure to light can damage the internal structure of hair, resulting in noticeable changes in moisture sorption characteristics.

Measuring equilibrium moisture content, water sorption isotherms, and hysteresis is therefore essential for assessing hair condition, and the same applies to the characterization of skin cream formulations. Dynamic Vapor Sorption (DVS) technology can measure these parameters accurately and reliably.

Application Note 29: Moisture Desorption of Creams and Calculations. [Request a copy] Application Note 52: Vapor Permeability of Porous Materials using Payne Diffusion Cell. [Request a copy]

Fuel Cells

Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells (PEMFCs) are a highly active area of research as a low-emission power source for both mobile and stationary applications.

PEMFCs are constructed as multilayered membrane electrode assemblies that typically include two carbon cloth gas-diffusion layers, which allow the simultaneous transport of gases and water. These two layers are positioned on either side of a proton exchange membrane, enabling proton transfer from the anode to the cathode.

A critical parameter affecting the performance of these proton exchange membranes is moisture content. Water is supplied to fuel cells by humidifying the gas feed stream.

Dynamic Vapor Sorption (DVS) technology enables rapid and accurate measurement of water sorption isotherms and diffusion kinetics across a wide range of temperature and humidity conditions.

Application Note 39: Measuring Moisture Sorption and Diffusion Kinetics on Proton Exchange Membranes Using the DVS. [Request a copy]

Catalysts and MOFs

Microporous materials such as Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) and zeolites represent a class of advanced materials that are gaining significant attention as sorbents, catalysts, and separation media. For example, highly flexible microporous MOF materials demonstrate excellent capability in capturing and separating carbon dioxide (CO₂) from smaller gases such as nitrogen (N₂), hydrogen (H₂), methane (CH₄), carbon monoxide (CO), and oxygen (O₂).

Dynamic Vapor Sorption (DVS) technology serves as a highly valuable tool for precisely characterizing these materials using water and organic vapors under process-relevant temperature conditions.

Application Note 51: Gas Capture and Vapor Separation by Microporous Materials. [Request a copy] Application Note 504: Water Vapor Induced Mesoporous Structure Collapse Observed by GenRH with Mcell and FT-IR. [Request a copy]

Tobacco

The moisture sorption properties of tobacco are essential to evaluating both the drying process and shelf-life stability.

Tobacco is highly sensitive to temperature and humidity fluctuations that can occur during transport, and once it absorbs moisture, it may lose flavor, added aromas, and even combustibility.

Conversely, overly dry tobacco can become too brittle for use in manufacturing processes. These moisture sorption properties of tobacco can be precisely analyzed using Dynamic Vapor Sorption (DVS) technology.

Application Note 21: Moisture Sorption on Tobacco of Various Origins. [Request a copy]

Bio and Natural Materials

Biomaterials refer to substances containing abundant and inexpensive natural biopolymers, such as wheat straw.

With the growing concern over depleting fossil fuels, biofuels are attracting increasing attention, and one of the key steps in producing bioethanol from wheat straw is the pre-treatment stage prior to drying. This stage is essential for improving economic viability and enhancing conversion efficiency to fuel.

In addition, paper and most cellulosic materials exhibit the property of absorbing significant amounts of moisture.

Dynamic Vapor Sorption (DVS) technology is an effective tool for evaluating the sorption and desorption behavior of biomaterials such as wheat straw and cellulose.

Application Note 02: Moisture Sorption of EC Standard Reference Material RM 302 on a DVS-1 Instrument. [Request a copy] Application Note 57: Characterization of Wheat Straw for Bio-fuel Application. [Request a copy] Application Note 505: Identifying Structural Changes in the Protein Collagen Using Humidity Generation and FT-IR. [Request a copy]

Cements and Building Materials

One of the critical factors in the long-term storage stability of cement is its moisture uptake rate under specific storage conditions. Traditionally, this has been evaluated by storing large-volume cement containers in controlled environments and periodically measuring weight changes over months or years.

However, using Dynamic Vapor Sorption (DVS) methods, the moisture sorption kinetics of cement and various other building materials can be measured in a time-efficient and reliable manner.

Application Note 09: Measuring the Moisture Sorption Kinetics of Cements using DVS.

[Request a copy] Application Note 104: Vapor Sorption Properties of Building Materials using Gravimetric Sorption Instrumentation – an Overview. [Request a copy]

Under ambient conditions, materials continuously interact with moisture and volatile substances. When exposed to heat or strong airflow across their surface, materials undergo some form of drying. How well a material withstands rapid transitions between wetted and dry (hydrated/dehydrated) states is a strong indicator of its stability.

When volatile substances are removed from a solid surface, fragile crystalline structures may collapse, surface energy may change, and the hydration state of the solid may shift — all of which can significantly affect surface area. Because the degree of wettability and interaction with moisture can substantially alter the function and performance of a material, continuous monitoring of wettability and dry-ability is becoming increasingly important.

Pharmaceuticals

The final hydration state of a pharmaceutical substance can influence a wide range of physicochemical properties, including physical and chemical stability. For example, the hydration state of crystalline materials is a particularly important consideration in the pharmaceutical industry. Some hydrated substances convert to an amorphous state upon dehydration, and different hydrate forms can affect solubility, dissolution rate, flowability, and compressibility.

These factors influence every stage of pharmaceutical development — from initial formulation design to solid dosage form development, packaging, and storage. Dynamic Vapor Sorption (DVS) offers a rapid and accurate method for measuring the formation and loss of channel hydrates.

Application Note 36: Investigation of Hydrate Formation and Loss Using DVS. [Request a copy] Application Note 59: Investigation of Channel Hydrate Formation and Loss Using the DVS. [Request a copy] Application Note 501: Environmental Microscopy using the GenRH-A Humidity Generator and Mcell Accessory. [Request a copy]

Foods and Fine Chemicals

The moisture sorption properties of food are critical to shelf life and storage stability. In particular, for materials vulnerable to temperature changes or humidity shocks — such as crackers or noodles — excessive moisture uptake can lead to texture degradation, dissolution issues, caking, and even mold growth. Foods can absorb large amounts of moisture, causing them to dissolve or lose structural integrity, which reduces marketability.

Dynamic Vapor Sorption (DVS) technology is highly effective for analyzing the physicochemical behavior of specific food products.

Application Note 03: Polymorphism in Spray Dried Lactose. [Request a copy] Application Note 503: Investigating Dried Milk Powders Using Optical Microscopy at Different Humidity Conditions. [Request a copy]

Personal Care Products

Moisture content is one of the most important factors governing the properties of skin and hair fibers. Under ambient conditions, human hair can absorb up to 35% of its own weight in moisture before reaching full saturation.

Bleaching, exposure to heat, and exposure to light can damage the internal structure of hair, resulting in noticeable changes in moisture sorption characteristics. Measuring equilibrium moisture content, water sorption isotherms, and hysteresis is therefore essential for assessing hair condition, and the same applies to the characterization of skin cream formulations. Dynamic Vapor Sorption (DVS) technology can measure these parameters accurately and reliably.

Application Note 29: Moisture Desorption of Creams and Calculations. [Request a copy] Application Note 52: Vapor Permeability of Porous Materials using Payne Diffusion Cell. [Request a copy]

Fuel Cells

Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells (PEMFCs) are a highly active area of research as a low-emission power source for both mobile and stationary applications.

PEMFCs are constructed as multilayered membrane electrode assemblies that typically include two carbon cloth gas-diffusion layers, which allow the simultaneous transport of gases and water. These two layers are positioned on either side of a proton exchange membrane, enabling proton transfer from the anode to the cathode.

A critical parameter affecting the performance of these proton exchange membranes is moisture content. Water is supplied to fuel cells by humidifying the gas feed stream. Dynamic Vapor Sorption (DVS) technology enables rapid and accurate measurement of water sorption isotherms and diffusion kinetics across a wide range of temperature and humidity conditions.

Application Note 39: Measuring Moisture Sorption and Diffusion Kinetics on Proton Exchange Membranes Using the DVS. [Request a copy]

Catalysts and MOFs

Microporous materials such as Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) and zeolites represent a class of advanced materials that are gaining significant attention as sorbents, catalysts, and separation media. For example, highly flexible microporous MOF materials demonstrate excellent capability in capturing and separating carbon dioxide (CO₂) from smaller gases such as nitrogen (N₂), hydrogen (H₂), methane (CH₄), carbon monoxide (CO), and oxygen (O₂).

Dynamic Vapor Sorption (DVS) technology serves as a highly valuable tool for precisely characterizing these materials using water and organic vapors under process-relevant temperature conditions.

Application Note 51: Gas Capture and Vapor Separation by Microporous Materials. [Request a copy] Application Note 504: Water Vapor Induced Mesoporous Structure Collapse Observed by GenRH with Mcell and FT-IR. [Request a copy]

Tobacco

The moisture sorption properties of tobacco are essential to evaluating both the drying process and shelf-life stability. Tobacco is highly sensitive to temperature and humidity fluctuations that can occur during transport, and once it absorbs moisture, it may lose flavor, added aromas, and even combustibility. Conversely, overly dry tobacco can become too brittle for use in manufacturing processes. These moisture sorption properties of tobacco can be precisely analyzed using Dynamic Vapor Sorption (DVS) technology.

Application Note 21: Moisture Sorption on Tobacco of Various Origins. [Request a copy]

Bio and Natural Materials

Biomaterials refer to substances containing abundant and inexpensive natural biopolymers, such as wheat straw. With the growing concern over depleting fossil fuels, biofuels are attracting increasing attention, and one of the key steps in producing bioethanol from wheat straw is the pre-treatment stage prior to drying. This stage is essential for improving economic viability and enhancing conversion efficiency to fuel.

In addition, paper and most cellulosic materials exhibit the property of absorbing significant amounts of moisture. Dynamic Vapor Sorption (DVS) technology is an effective tool for evaluating the sorption and desorption behavior of biomaterials such as wheat straw and cellulose.

Application Note 02: Moisture Sorption of EC Standard Reference Material RM 302 on a DVS-1 Instrument. [Request a copy] Application Note 57: Characterization of Wheat Straw for Bio-fuel Application. [Request a copy] Application Note 505: Identifying Structural Changes in the Protein Collagen Using Humidity Generation and FT-IR. [Request a copy]

Cements and Building Materials

One of the critical factors in the long-term storage stability of cement is its moisture uptake rate under specific storage conditions. Traditionally, this has been evaluated by storing large-volume cement containers in controlled environments and periodically measuring weight changes over months or years.

However, using Dynamic Vapor Sorption (DVS) methods, the moisture sorption kinetics of cement and various other building materials can be measured in a time-efficient and reliable manner.

Application Note 09: Measuring the Moisture Sorption Kinetics of Cements using DVS. [Request a copy] Application Note 104: Vapor Sorption Properties of Building Materials using Gravimetric Sorption Instrumentation – an Overview. [Request a copy]