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Engineering ToolBox > Relative Humidity Limits in Production and Process Environments
To avoid damaging products, or to achieve proper process conditions, it is often important to keep the environment and the indoor climate within certain temperature and humidity limits.
Low relative humidity may dry up the product, or high relative humidity may increase the water activity growing mould in the production process.
The table below can be used as a guidance to recommended Relative Humidity - RH - in some common production and process environments.
| Production and Process Environment | Recommended Relative Humidity - RH - (%) |
| Sugar Storage | 20 - 35% |
| Breweries | 35 - 45% |
| Coffee Powder | 30 - 40% |
| Milk Powder Storage | 20 - 35% |
| Seed Storage | 35 - 45% |
| Unpacked Medicine | 20 - 35% |
| Transformer Winding | 15 - 30% |
| Semiconductors | 30 - 50% |
| Books and Paper Archive | 40 - 55% |
| Paper Storage | 35 - 45% |
| Preventing Rust and Corrosion | below 55%, < 40% for no rust generation |
| Library | 50 - 55% |
| Spray Paint | 30 - 50% |
| Laboratory electronics | 45 - 60% |
| Plastic Pallets | 5 - 30% |
| Computer Peripherals | 50 - 60% |
| Rust Resistance | Below 40% |
| Medical Syrups | 30 - 40% |
| Capsule Storage | 30 - 45% |
| Powder Storage | 30 - 45% |
| Wood Drying | 25 - 35% |
| Explosives | 35 - 50% Note! low RH may generate static electricity and spark ignitions |
| Normal Storage | 50 - 55% |
| Musical Instrument | 45 - 55% |
| Leather Product | 40 - 55% |
| Cable Wrapping | 15 - 25% |
| Chemical Laboratory | 30 - 45% |