What temperature should be maintained when oven drying a sample for test?

The recommended temperature for oven drying a sample in materials testing is typically around 110 ± 5°C. This temperature range is generally viewed as optimal for effectively removing moisture from materials without risking material degradation or the loss of volatile components that could occur at higher temperatures.

At 110°C, many materials undergo sufficient drying while maintaining their structural integrity, thus ensuring that the moisture content can be accurately assessed for various tests. Higher temperatures, such as those exceeding this range, might lead to the unintended drying of some materials, altering their properties and potentially interfering with the results of subsequent analyses.

This temperature range is also well-established in various standards for laboratory testing, making it a common practice among materials engineers to ensure consistency and reliability in results. Maintaining the drying temperature within this narrow band helps prevent discrepancies in moisture content measurements, which can significantly affect material performance, especially in fields such as construction, concrete technology, and quality control of raw materials.