Hysteresis
Technical paper 35: Moisture measurement in the historic environment, published by Historic Environment Scotland in 2021, defines hysteresis as: ‘A phenomenon in which a material absorbs and desorbs water differently at the same relative humidity.’
Assessing risks in insulation retrofits using hygrothermal software tools, Heat and moisture transport in internally insulated stone walls, by Joseph Little, Calina Ferraro and Beñat Arregi, published by Historic Environment Scotland in 2015, defines hysteresis as: ‘The manner in which the equilibrium moisture content of a porous material for a given RH (Relative Humidity) may differ depending on whether it is reached during wetting or drying. This can be due to a number of reasons, such as water caught behind a narrow pore passage or the different contact angles between water and pore wall during wetting and drying.’
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