Dynamic Water Vapor Sorption

Fully automated analysis of moisture sorption isotherms using the dynamic vapour sorption (DVS) technique

Dynamic vapour sorption or DVS is a commonly used technique to determine the amount of water vapour which will be adsorbed by a material as a function of the relative humidity surrounding that sample. The technique involves very accurately measuring the weight of a sample after it has equilibrated at a range of relative humidities.

Type of studies possible with DVS technique:

• water sorption isotherms of samples
• kinetics of water uptake and release
• hydration of materials
• temperature-dependence of water sorption
• irreversible changes mediated by adsorbed water
• porosity of sample surfaces
• effect of mixing compounds
• effect of compacting powders
• quality assurance testing for material conformity

The manufacture and protective packaging of many products relies on the information gained from dynamic vapour sorption (DVS) isotherms and the most common examples are:

• Stability of pharmaceutical excipients and drug actives
• Drying and storage of grains
• Texture and shelf life of food products
• PEM fuel cell components
• Mortar, grout and other cementitious materials
• Paper and coatings
• Hydrophobic surface treatments
• Microporous and nanostructured carbons

Vapour sorption experiments can be also performed using a manometric technique in Autosorb iQ equipped with a Vapour Module.

For more information contact us.