Linkam Scientific Instruments, expert in sample characterisation, has launched the latest update to its range of humidity control systems. The new RHGen Relative Humidity (RH) Controller offers humidity control between 3% and 95% RH, at temperatures from ambient to 85 °C, with an upgraded RH sensor and improved connectors, providing environmental control to a variety of Linkam temperature control stages and third-party chambers.
Image Credit: Linkam Scientific Instruments
Showcasing upgraded internal electronics and a new colour touchscreen, the RHGen allows the user to precisely control the humidity around a sample, without the need for an external dry air supply. Magnetic connectors for the bottle enables easy water changing and refilling for users and when used in combination with a Linkam stage or other sealed chamber device, and the RHGen can offer humidity control between 3% and 95% RH, at temperatures from ambient to 85 °C. Accurate humidity control is ensured through the placement of the feedback sensor close to the sample block, and the device can be used in conjunction with light microscopy, Raman, FT-IR and X-ray to offer further sample characterisation.
Humidity can have a significant effect on the properties of a material; these include cosmetic surface effects to changes in a sample’s mechanical and electrical properties, and chemical changes such as creating polymorphs. The RHGen brings precise humidity control to a wide range of applications, so that users from a variety of sectors can understand the impact of humidity on their samples. Examples include: the study of water ingress on internal electrical components in electronic devices including solar cells; examining the effects of humidity, or dry air, on food storage conditions; and understanding the behaviour and breakdown of pharmaceutical compounds to inform packaging decisions, amongst other applications.
Duncan Stacey, Director of Sales and Marketing, commented: “Humidity is often overlooked as a testing parameter, as in the past it has been notoriously difficult to control. This device brings essential upgrades to our previous humidity control system, the RH95, which is already widely used by customers who are incorporating environmental control in their research, and the RHGen will provide customers with further accurate and reliable humidity management.”
There are RHGen compatible versions of a number of Linkam stages, including the THMS600, LTS420, and Modular Force Stage (MFS), providing an ideal solution for investigating the effects of changing humidity as well as temperature. The device can also be combined with the Inert Gas Regulator (IGR), which acts as a regulated pressure interface between the RHGen and an external gas supply to allow inert gases into the chamber, to replicate unique environmental conditions.