Does moisture escaping from powders decrease chamber vacuum?

Click For Summary
SUMMARY

The discussion centers on the drying of wet powders using a vacuum oven, where condensation appears despite a constant vacuum level of -0.1 MPa. The user observed an increase in relative humidity (RH) within the chamber, raising concerns about the effectiveness of the drying process. The RH fluctuated with the operation of the vacuum pump, decreasing during pumping and increasing when the pump was off. The user utilized a logger to monitor temperature and RH, questioning the functionality of the RH meter under vacuum conditions.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of vacuum drying principles
  • Familiarity with relative humidity measurement techniques
  • Knowledge of vacuum oven operation
  • Experience with data logging tools
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the operation and limitations of RH meters in vacuum environments
  • Explore methods to improve drying efficiency in vacuum ovens
  • Learn about the effects of pressure on moisture evaporation rates
  • Investigate alternative indicators for moisture content in powders
USEFUL FOR

Researchers, laboratory technicians, and process engineers involved in powder drying and moisture analysis in vacuum environments.

Cleitus
I'm drying some wet powders using vacuum oven and start seeing some condensation on the window after few minutes. The vacuum level stays pretty constant which puzzles me as i thought that the moisture escapes from the powder into the air will increase the chamber pressure or decrease the vacuum. I then put my logger in and found out that the relative humidity (RH) increases even though the chamber is at -0.1 MPa. Since the RH increases, how do i ensure that my powders are completely dry?
 
Science news on Phys.org
Out of curiosity, how does the RH meter you are using work? Is it supposed to work in vacuum?
 
Well the manual didnt specify whether it works under vacuum. Nevertheless, i went ahead and put it into check whether it logs the temperature and relative humidity. I can see the temperature stays pretty constant at 20˚C but the RH fluctuates depending on when I turn the pump on. At initial pumping, the RH drops and slowly increases after i stopped the pump. RH decreases again when i turned the pump on the second time. Btw, i placed a drop of water in a petri dish as an indicator assuming that when it dries out, my powders are dried.
 

Similar threads

  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
3K
Replies
8
Views
4K
  • · Replies 8 ·
Replies
8
Views
3K
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
3K
  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
3K