Risk of condensation

Water droplets on aluminium plate
Water droplets on aluminium plate

Since water and moisture can cause decorative changes of aluminium surfaces, it is important to be aware of are any circumstances, which can cause condensation at the material. 

Risk of condensation can be accessed via water vapour diagram

The water vapour diagram below can be used to assess the risk of condensation. The diagram shows the relationship between air temperature, water vapour content in the air and the relative air humidity.

For example, the air temperature can be 20 °C and the air humidity 50% (A). If this air is cooled with the same moisture content (A-B), when the air comes in contact with surfaces with a temperature of 9 °C or less (C), condensation will occur. In this example, it should be noted that under these temperature and humidity conditions in the air there is a risk for condensation when the air comes into contact with cooled aluminium surfaces.

Diagram showing water in gram pr. m3 air:

Vanddampsdiagram

Acclimatisation reduces the risk of condensation

In our article on proper handling and storage of aluminium, which you can read down below we point out that it is recommended not to store aluminium in cooled condition. Instead, it should be acclimatised to the warehouse air temperature, which must be at least 10 °C. This is done in order to avoid corrosion due to condensation. We further recommend that aluminium be stored in its original packaging until its final acclimatisation.

Video showing how water condensation can cause corrosion on aluminium items: