Humidity Test

What Is a Humidity Test?

 

A humidity test is an environmental durability test that evaluates whether a product operates reliably in high-humidity environments. During the test, the product is held in a controlled climatic chamber at a defined temperature and exposed for a long period to a variable or fixed relative humidity (%RH). The aim is to reveal the effects of humidity on material structure and electronic systems.

Over time, high humidity can cause serious damage in products such as corrosion, electrical leakage, insulation breakdown, material swelling, mold, and biological effects. For this reason, humidity testing is critical especially for electronic boards/devices, automotive electronic systems, military/defense equipment, industrial products operating outdoors, and sealed-enclosure systems.

Humidity tests are performed under two different conditions: Operational and Storage. After the test, the product is checked for rust or surface deterioration, changes in electrical performance, drops in insulation resistance, and deformation in mechanical parts.