Silica Gel – A Brief of Advantages That Makes This A Popular Desiccant
Silica gel is a sensational desiccant type that is manufactured by chemical processing companies from silicon dioxide. It starts off as an amorphous but then subsequently, ends up as granules placed inside waterproof silica gel packets – all thanks to modern-day chemical processing techniques.
The silica gel granules have micro-pores and a huge surface area – two important physical properties that make them capable of sucking up a lot of moisture in no time.
Being a desiccant means the silica gel granules will boast low vapor pressure when compared to the air surrounding them. This allows water molecules to stick to the surface of the granules thus ensuring the job of keeping the ambient air dry is completed successfully by this product.
Advantages
It has lots of advantages to offer especially when one compares it with other desiccant types.
Some of the most popular advantages of using silica gel are as follows –
It has amazing properties
For starters, silica gel is non-flammable and can be reused several times. All one would need to do is subject the silica gel packets to some dry heat in a bit to remove the absorbed water molecules from the product. The absorption rate of silica gel granules is more than forty percent of its own weight.
On top of this, one can store this desiccant indefinitely as the shelf life of the same is long; given the storage vessel containing this product is made airtight.
It is a safe product
Silica gel packets do not react with their surroundings. It will not corrode or cause any form of disruptions. It is non-toxic in nature and odorless.
Industrialists love it as it is a cost-efficient form of desiccant since no external energy is needed to be supplied to the desiccant to make it work. This is one of the many reasons why industrial demand for this product is high as plant owners would not need to increase their utility bills by installing a desiccant tower containing this product inside it. Also, silica gels granules boast stable chemical as well as thermal properties
It is one of the easiest ways to increase the shelf life of a product
Products with relatively short shelf life such as pet food, medications, supplements, cereals and even coffee can be kept fresh for a long time when they are stored in the vicinity of silica gel packets.
One can even place silica gel packets inside the container(s) containing the above-mentioned products and keep them from going bad. It is completely safe to do so as silica gel granules are non-toxic and won’t partake in any form of reaction, chemical or otherwise.
One can also keep their food items safe with this
Well, all silica gel packets come with a warning that it shouldn’t be opened or eaten. This is true since tests were not performed to see whether or not the product reacts with the human body especially when it has being ingested.
On that note, one should not deter from using silica gel packets as a means to keep their raw food items fresh. One can place silica gel packets inside containers or cabinets that they use for storage of the following raw food items –
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Spices
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Dried fruits
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Herbs
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Brown sugar
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Table salt
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Potatoes
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Onions and related vegetables tend to get spoilt quickly.
It keeps moisture and mold at bay
Silica gel packets are perfect desiccants and their ability to keep moisture at bay is commendable, to state the least.
On top of this, since this product can keep moisture away, it is also an effective mold and fungi deterrent. This makes the product ideal for use in damp locations such as the basement of a home or the underground boiler room of an industrial plant.
It is also placed inside storage boxes that house leather apparel and related items that often fall prey to mold and mildew.
It also manages odor formation
Mass-produced products go through a lot of stages during their production process which means, in the end, the user may or may not smell an odor that could irritate them.
Now, in case one wants their belongings, fresh from the factory, to have no foul smell then they should place the ‘smelly’ item inside a container or box containing silica gel packets.
The desiccant does not remove the unpleasant smell per se but simply reduces the sensation by absorbing the excess moisture from the ‘smelly’ product/item.
Closing thoughts
In the end, one will be able to enjoy all of the above advantages from silica gel packets if and only if they procure them from renowned companies. To be on the safe side of things, one would need to ensure that the brand they have chosen has all the necessary permits and has been operational for years. On top of this, one can also take some time out and try to talk to the past and present clients of the brand in a bid to ensure that the former solve grievances of the latter in no time.