All materials corrode, which is to say that every substance eventually changes from one form to another through chemical reactions. Many of these reactions, especially those that depend on oxygen, are catalyzed and accelerated by moisture.

Ferrous metals like iron and steel are well known for their corrosion in the presence of moisture. Less well known is the fact that glass corrodes and cracks at a rate that varies according to the moisture on its surface. Pure crystals like sodium iodide and lithium fluoride also corrode, forming oxides and hydroxides in proportion to moisture in the air. In the past, tens of thousands of desiccant dehumidifiers have been used to surround machinery and equipment with dry air, preserving ferrous metals from heavy rust.

CAL-IN dehumidifiers work to protect materials from more subtle and expensive forms of corrosion. Modern society depends more and more on light equipment like computers, telecommunications gear, light-weight composite materials and high-energy batteries.  While these are less subject to gross rusting, they are very sensitive to microscopic-level corrosion. These circuits simply do not have much material to begin with, so small amounts of corrosion create disproportionately large problems. Desiccant systems save owners literally hundreds of millions of dollars each year by preventing both gross and microscopic corrosion.

Military Storage

In the 1950s after the Korean War, the U.S. military used dry air storage for long-term protection of inactive ships, machinery and weapons. The technique saved millions of dollars in preservation costs. In the 1970s, European military groups, notably those in Sweden and Denmark, pioneered the use of desiccant equipment for protection of active duty military material. CAL-IN & COBEAL have manufactured dehumidifiers for the Secretaria de Marina and Escuela Anton Lizardo (school ran by the Mexican Navy) to protect expensive military equipment, cutting maintenance costs drastically, and increasing the combat readiness of aircraft, tanks, ships and supplies.

Electronics Protection

Computers and other electronic equipment use small voltages and low currents to perform their functions. When minute layers of corrosion build up on circuit surfaces, they increase electrical resistance and decrease capacitance, which can seriously effect calibration and performance. Also, when electrical equipment is rapidly cooled and heated – such as when cold aircraft descend into warm, humid airports – there is a potential for condensation and corrosion. Dehumidifiers prevent these problems, saving calibration time and improving the mean time between failure of electronic systems.

Power Plant Layup

When power plants are idled for maintenance or because of excess generator capacity, dehumidifiers are installed to blow dry air through both the steam side and generator windings. This costs less and is safer than blanketing with nitrogen, and is far more effective than either wet layup with corrosion inhibitors or prevention in grease. Dry air layup is very simple, and the plant can go back on-line instantly. We have designed and installed dehumidification equipment for Laguna Verde, the nuclear power plant of Mexico.

Lithium Battery Production

Lithium, plutonium and other high-energy metals are hazardous because they ignite when atmospheric water vapor makes them corrode. Dehumidifiers make it possible to work with such metals quite safely in open air. Desiccant units dry large production rooms with dozens of people to moisture levels below 1% relative humidity. This has made the large-scale lithium battery industry economically viable. Without the desiccant dehumidifier, the lithium batter would still be an expensive, special-purpose curiosity.

Typical Applications

• Military drilling rig layup
• Industrial plant layup
• Galvanized steel storage
• Protecting box beams in bridges
• Ball bearing storage
• SCR motor control centers
• Generator rotor storage
• Sodium iodide crystal finishing
• Oil tanker layup
• Automotive stampings protection
• Military aircraft avionics protection
• Civil aircraft corrosion protection
• Calcium metal fabrication
• Metal hydride machining
• Computer storage
• Chemical plant pipe galleries
• Yacht protection
• Canal lock mechanism protection
• Pumping station
• Boiler protection
• Military tanks
• Helicopter storage
• Nuclear waste storage
• Precision tooling storage
• Ammunition storage
• Tire creel rooms & wire storage
• Razor blade manufacturing
• Tritium containment