IN WHAT WAYS IS HIGH HUMIDITY DAMAGING TO ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS?

Most of us are well aware that electronics and water do not mix (or certainly not easily), but not everyone always pays quite so much attention to humidity.

And given that the term “humidity” literally refers to the amount of water vapour in the air, those responsible for the design, development, and manufacture of electronic products certainly should care about humidity.

Moisture in the air can cause a variety of adverse effects.

Humans generally prefer humidity levels indoors to be around 30% to 50%, and this is also the optimal humidity level for electronic devices. In a setting in which humidity is above 50%, however, there can be a chance of electronics beginning to sustain damage.

Condensation – which forms as a consequence of warm air coming into contact with a cold surface – is a key sign to look out for. The formation of condensation on electronic products can bring about rust and corrosion, preceding effects that prevent the given device from working altogether.

A humid environment is a setting in which the air is full of moisture. And when electronic products become damp as a result, it is not merely rusting and corrosion to the exterior that might occur – if the moisture manages to penetrate the device’s outer casing, the interior can also be affected.

Even a relatively small amount of water inside an electronic device can conduct electricity and bring about shortages. The malfunctioning of electronics arising from high humidity might be especially likely in products that are not necessarily designed with the expectation that they will operate in such conditions, such as certain smartphones and earbuds.

However, even some electronic products that are designed and built with the idea of being used in especially humid spaces – such as kitchens and bathrooms – could be vulnerable when they are subject to a particularly high degree of humidity.

Turn to Cranage EMC and Safety for the environmental test services that guard against humidity risks.

Naturally, humidity is far from the only climactic factor that you will need to plan for when you are looking to develop and bring to market an electronic product. This is why our own environmental test services at Cranage EMC and Safety also encompass such forms of testing as solar radiation, dust ingress, salt spray, and temperature cycling, as well as shock and vibration testing.

What our climactic chambers are also able to do, however, is provide humidity testing from 20%, right up to 98%. This service will help ensure your electronic product really can stand up to the environmental pressures that you need it to stand up to.

Would you like to have a more in-depth conversation with our team at Cranage EMC and Safety in relation to the environmental test services we can make available? If so, please do not hesitate to call our team in Market Drayton, Shropshire, today on +44(1630) 658568.

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