Types of Moisture Sensors

Moisture sensors are critical tools used in many industries to detect moisture content in materials. This week’s article outlines the extensive range of moisture sensors and their uses.

About Moisture Measurement

A moisture sensor is an essential instrument used in many industries to detect moisture content in materials, including:

• agricultural products
• building materials
• textiles, and more.

The reason for determining moisture is product-specific, but moisture content often impacts the quality of goods.  When out of specified limits, moisture content can expedite mould growth, the warping of building materials, increased deterioration rates and more.

Instrument Choice Scientists have put together some examples of application-specific moisture sensors below.

Building Material and Timber Moisture Meters

There are two main types of building material moisture sensors; destructive (pin) and non-destructive (pinless). 

Destructive Pin Type Example:

Moisture Meter for Wood & Building Materials
Product code: 0560-6060

The 0560-6060 moisture meter displays moisture content readings as the percentage by weight using stored material characteristic curves. The meter has built-in characteristic curves for wood types such as beech, spruce, larch, oak, pine and maple.

Specifications

Moisture Range: % by weight material moisture (depending on settable materials 0.0 to 54.8%).

Non-Destructive Example:

Moisture Encounter Plus Meter
Product code: IC-MEP

Non-destructive moisture meters measure an item's moisture content using an electromagnetic field. The field is affected by moisture present, exploiting this phenomenon to produce a reading. The IC-MEP is one of the biggest selling non-destructive moisture inspection tools available at Instrument Choice. Its popularity is due to its ease of use and quick, accurate moisture measurements.

Specifications

Moisture Range: Wood scale 5 to 30%, 0 to 100 on a comparative scale for all other materials.

Concrete Moisture Sensors

Concrete moisture meters are used by concreters and floor covering installers to monitor concrete drying and determine that subflooring is ready for floor covering installation.

Digital Concrete Moisture Meter
Product code: IC-CMEX2

The CMEXPert is a digital non-destructive meter for measuring moisture content instantly in concrete floors and floor screeds.

The IC-CMEX2 incorporates:

• An optional plug-in port for a pin-type wood probe; and
• A relative humidity probe, making it the ideal all-in-one concrete measuring instrument.

Specifications

Moisture Range: Measures up to 7% moisture content in concrete. Measures from 7% to 40% moisture content in wood.

Soil Moisture Sensors

Soil moisture is a critical factor for the growth and development of healthy crops and plants. Ideal soil moisture varies between plant species and depends on your soil type. Soil moisture sensors take the guesswork out of soil moisture management.

Agribun Soil Temperature and Moisture Recorder-Alarm
Product code: IC-Agribun

The Agribun is a smart soil moisture and temperature recorder that takes measurements quickly and uploads information to a web and mobile application via WIFI. This device is an easy set-and-forget soil moisture sensor. Users can choose to set up text and email alarms when predefined parameters are breached.

Specifications

Moisture Range: 0 to 100%.

Grain and Hay Moisture Sensors

As the name suggests, grain and hay moisture sensors measure the moisture content of various agricultural products.

AGRETO GFM+ grain moisture meter
Product code: IC-FA08125-PLUS

The AGRETO GFM+ is a portable device for the fast determination of the moisture content in over 42 crop types, including; various grains, corn, oil crops, protein crops and more.

Specifications

Moisture Range: 5 to 40 % (depending on crop selected).

Paper Moisture Sensors

Moisture content influences the flatness, dimensions, weight, strength and fold of paper and paper products. Paper moisture sensors are deployed to control those paper properties influenced by moisture content.

Humimeter RH5 Paper moisture meter
Product code: IC-humimeterRH5

The  IC-humimeterRH5 is ideal for measuring piles of paper and monitoring the climate of printing rooms and stockrooms. The meter is straightforward to use and automatically logs 10,000 data points for a quick and easy overview of paper moisture data.

Specifications

Moisture Range: 10% to 100%.

Leather and Textile Moisture Sensors 

Humidity and moisture content influences the quality and ability to process leather and textiles. When the moisture content is too high or low, it will affect material tensile strength, elasticity, fibre diameter and friction.

Humimeter LM 6 Portable leather moisture meter
Product code: IC-humimeterLM6

The IC-humimeterLM6 is a handheld moisture meter for measuring leather moisture non-destructively. It is well suited for all kinds of leather and covers many moisture levels. The LM6 can be used during the entire leather tanning process, in the leather trade and by leather processing companies.

Specifications

Moisture Range: 3% to 65% water content.

Conclusion

A moisture meter is an indispensable instrument used in many industries to detect moisture content in materials.

For more information on moisture meters and their uses, speak with an Instrument Choice Scientist: Call 1300 737 871 or email [email protected].