Air Properties

Air is a vital component of our everyday lives. Air properties are important whether we are ventilating a livestock housing unit, drying grain or determining relative humidity in the home. In a livestock building, temperature, moisture, odors, and toxic or noxious gases must be controlled. Since the moisture holding capacity of air increases as temperature increases, heat may be added in grain drying to help remove moisture from the grain kernel. In the home, moisture either can be added to or removed from the air to change the relative humidity. In each case, air provides the link between the controls and the mechanical equipment, and air properties influence the results of the processes.