page_title: Humidity indicator card
section_title: Cobalt-free humidity indicator cards
hierarchical_section_title: Humidity indicator card / Cobalt-free humidity indicator cards
caption_attribution_description: English: Cobalt free humidity indicator card (HIC)
context_page_description: A humidity indicator card is a card on which a moisture-sensitive chemical is impregnated such that it will change color when the indicated relative humidity is exceeded. This has usually been a blotting paper impregnated with cobalt(II) chloride base; Less toxic alternatives include other chemicals such as cobalt-free chloride base and special plastic films.
  Humidity indicators are an inexpensive way to indicate or quantify moisture content inside sealed packaging. They are available in many configurations and used in many applications, especially military and semiconductor. The most common humidity indicator cards change color from blue to pink.
context_section_description: Several cobalt-free systems have been developed. Cobalt-free brown to azure (copper(II) chloride base) HICs can be found on the market. In 1998, the European Community (EC) issued a directive which classifies items containing cobalt(II) chloride of 0.01 to 1% w/w as T (Toxic), with the corresponding R phrase of R49 (may cause cancer if inhaled). As a consequence, new cobalt-free humidity indicator cards have been developed by some companies.
  Although the EC issued this directive, it did not ban humidity indicators that contain cobalt(II) chloride.  The only effect the EC directive has on a humidity indicator card that contains cobalt(II) chloride is setting labeling requirement thresholds.
  There are two ways to consider the EC directive:
  The cobalt based HIC producers says that if a humidity indicator is considered an article in the EC definition and therefore has no labeling requirements if the content of cobalt(II) chloride by weight is <0.25%.  The T (toxic) and R49 (may cause cancer if inhaled) is not applicable because a humidity indicator cannot be inhaled.
  On the other hand, if you consider HIC as a chemical (indicating spot) on a paper card (indicator) the consequence is that it should be considered as a preparation, the concentration limit changes to 0.01% weight of cobalt(II) chloride, and it should be labeled as T (toxic) and R49 (may cause cancer if inhaled). Moreover, it is clear that the HIC can not be inhaled, but the regulation is about the content of substances and is a warning for users: e.g. if they know that there are harmful substances in the HIC, they will not dispose of them by burning.
caption: Cobalt Free Humidity Indicator Card
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