Water content classes (WCC)

[German version]

Products may be divided into the following water content classes on the basis of their water content:

Water content class	Description
WCC 0	Products containing no water (water content = 0%), e.g. glass, porcelain, ceramic fittings, metals, plastics
WCC 1	Products containing only a little water (water content = 0 – 1.5%), e.g. crystalline and pulverulent products (sugar, salt, fertilizers, citrus powder); their sorption isotherms are characterized by discontinuities.
WCC 2	Goods with low water content (1.5 – 30%), e.g. goods from which water has been removed by natural or artificial drying, thereby extending storage life, such as most foodstuffs and also raw materials of animal origin, natural fibers, coal; their sorption isotherms form a continuous, generally S-shaped curve.
WCC 3	Goods with a high water content (> 30%), including fruit, vegetables, meat and fish, with a water content of > 90%, which have a tendency to release water vapor into the storage atmosphere. This group also includes goods, such as rafted wood or wet-salted hides, which under normal conditions belong to WCC 2.

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