Cermax makes moisture monitoring cost effective & simple for the polymer chip drying industry

Michell Instruments' Cermax industrial dewpoint hygrometer provides accurate, portable, and cost-effective humidity monitoring in polymer chip drying applications, with spot measurements across the range from -100°C to +20°C dewpoint and indication down to -120°C and up to +30°C dewpoint. Cermax's easy operation and fast response to industrial dewpoint make it the ideal instrument for monitoring multiple drying facilities with minimum personnel.

Polymer materials are highly hygroscopic and easily take in water during storage and transport. It is therefore recognised practice to dry the plastic chips immediately prior to melting by blowing dried and heated air through the machine feed-hopper. In order to attain maximum process efficiency, however, it is essential to reduce the water content to 0.0003% (30ppm) prior to heating, as any water present at this stage rapidly hydrolyses the polymer, thereby reducing its molecular weight and damaging its physical properties.

The air drying process in polymer chip drying is carried out in a dryer to a dewpoint of
- 40°C. Cermax has the excellent stability and reliability required to monitor that water content is remaining at the required level. Michell's Cermax when used to perform spot checks at regular intervals allows the accurate, yet quick and easy determination of moisture content for a cost-effective assurance of process quality. It can also log up to ten thousand measurement points and the data can be downloaded to a PC or other data collection device/control system.

Cermax uses Michell Instruments' Advanced Ceramic Moisture Sensor technology. The ceramic sensor is constructed using state of the art thin and thick film techniques. Operation of the sensor depends upon the adsorption of water vapour into a porous non-conducting "sandwich" between two conductive layers built on top of a base ceramic substrate. Despite being extremely sensitive to changes in moisture content, the ceramic sensor is incredibly rugged due to the nature of its construction.

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