Clariant, a world leader in specialty chemicals, and its Cargo & Device Protection unit, the originator of the color change humidity indicator card, introduce an industry-first innovation to better ensure that the integrity of dry packing that protects moisture-sensitive devices has not been compromised by high humidity at any time during shipment or storage. The new Humitector Type 2 Non-Reversible Humidity Indicator Cards are low-halogen and free of cobalt dichloride, a substance of concern to the European Chemical Bureau.

The new Humitector cards are the only low-halogen cobalt dichloride-free humidity indicator cards to combine multiple, reversible color humidity indicators with an industry first: a patent-pending, non-reversible 60% humidity indicator. They provide verifiable color change accuracy and meet or exceed applicable European Chemical Bureau regulations. The new cards have been approved for use by the Joint Electron Device Engineering Council (JEDEC) in the latest revisions to IPC/JEDEC J-STD-033 (J-STD-033D) – the dry packing standard for surface mount devices.

“Clariant developed Humitector Type 2 non-reversible humidity indicator cards because surface-mount suppliers and device manufacturers said that they wanted greater assurance in the integrity of dry packs for moisture-sensitive devices,” said Michelle Martin, Head of Clariant Cargo & Device Protection, North America. “The 60% non-reversible indicator on these new cards makes it easy to see if the package contents have been exposed to high levels of moisture for a prolonged period of time.”

Until now, users of moisture-sensitive, reflowable surface mount devices have had little choice in the humidity indicator cards required for use in protective packages governed by the J-STD-033 standard. Typical cards offer only reversible indicators that reflect current (dry or humid) conditions. If package contents, including the card, are exposed to damaging humidity but then returned to a dry environment before the card is checked, the exposure could go unnoticed as the card reverses back to a dry reading. As a result, surface mounts could enter production even though they may have been compromised by moisture.

Clariant Cargo & Device Protection offers a complete portfolio of desiccants, container desiccants, oxygen absorbers, and humidity indicator solutions to help protect goods from moisture and oxygen through the entire supply chain. Solutions are available through a global sales network with worldwide manufacturing sites in Brazil, Indonesia, Turkey, United States, and China.

For more information, visit www.clariant.com/type-2-humidity-indicator-card.