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While the majority of the water on Earth is located in the ocean and other bodies of
water, there is still 12,900 cubic kilometers (3,095 cubic miles) located in the
atmosphere. Water in general has an association with nothingness, as a clear liquid
that will not stain clothing and is offered free at restaurants. As the way we perceive
it, water really does not have substance. Many people also pair this connection with
clear odorless gases, which can occasionally be hazardous. We are often unaware of
these things, even if they are directly in our presence. While water vapor generally
cannot harm humans, since it is just water in a different state of matter, it can be
problematic for many materials used for different purposes. Detection of water
vapor in some porous materials is covered by ASTME96/E96M-16 Standard Test
Methods for Water Vapor Transmission of Materials.
ASTME96/E96M-16 describes two test methods that determine the water vapor transmission
of materials through which the passage of water vapor could damage the material or be of some
importance. For example, these tests can help to understand the increased humidity in a heated
dry building during a rainstorm. The processes identified in this standard test many different
kinds of materials, including paper, plastic films, other sheet materials, fiberboards, gypsum and
plaster products, wood products, and plastics. The two basic methods are the Desiccant Method
and the Water Method, both of which are limited to specimens under 32 mm (1.25 in) in
thickness.
In the Desiccant Method, the test specimen, which can be any one of the materials covered by
the scope of the standard, is sealed to the open mouth of the test dish containing a desiccant,
and the assembly is placed in a controlled atmosphere with a set temperature and humidity. The
desiccant used must be anhydrous calcium chloride in the form of small lumps that have been
dried at 200C (400F). For some time after this assembly is constructed, periodic weighings of
the desiccant will determine the rate of water vapor from the air that travels through the
specimen into the desiccant.
In the Water Method, a test dish is simply filled with water and placed 19 mm (0.75 in) from the
specimen, with a margin of error of 6 mm (0.25 in). The test dish used in both the Water Method
and the Desiccant Method should be as large as practical, at least 3000 sq mm (4.65 sq in). The
weighings in the Water Method determine the rate of vapor movement into the sample from the
water in the controlled atmosphere. This method creates an environment with much more
humidity than that of the Desiccant Method.
ASTME96/E96M-16 specifies many guidelines for all of the different materials and processes
needed for these two methods. It also provides the calculations needed to comprehend the data
generated from the Desiccant Method and the Water Method. The values generated from the
procedures have applications in design, manufacture, and marketing.
Completion of either one of these methods should result in a test report, which compiles
information on the test method used and the temperature and humidity of the test chamber.