Frequently Asked Questions

 A desiccant is a substance that absorbs moisture from the air. Desiccant is useful for protecting any sort of sensitive materials from moisture. 

 Yes, it adsorbs water vapor by physical means, not a chemical reaction. Water vapor is attracted inside the silica gels crystalline structure. 

 No, silica gel isn't a gel like a hair gel. It is a solid material that comes in granular or beaded forms. 

 No it doesn't, it traps water molecules inside its pores yet remains dry and appears physically unchanged. 

 Yes. The silica gel does not need to be 'generated' before use. It is sold (loose or in sachets) in a dry condition, ready for use. 

 The shelf life of silica gel is between 5 and 12 months, although practical experience  has shown that it can often far exceed this. The critical factor is to keep it in a sealed environment until it is needed for use. It will, of course, absorb moisture from any environment. Although the moisture uptake rate is not fast, small sachets can be particularly defenseless to poor storage conditions. It is recommended that they should not be left open to the atmosphere for longer than 25 minutes. 

 Silica gel will adsorb up to 40% of its own weight in moisture. Some special kind  of silica gel can absorb 100% of its own weight in moisture.

 Theoretically yes, but it is really only effective in an enclosed environment. In A Situation where new air (and moisture) is constantly being introduced, an unpractical amount of silica gel will likely be needed to keep the Relative Humidity at low levels. 

 It will depend on the application. For a well sealed item, a rule of thumb is that 25 grams of silica gel are needed for every cubic foot of volume of the package. 

 All desiccant absorbs moisture from the air. The basic difference between various   Desiccants is of their moisture absorption capacity & chemicals. 

 It will depend on the material of item which is to be protected from moisture, also transit  or storage location must be considered for selecting right desiccant. 

 Ultra Gel sachets are used when the environmental conditions are extremely moist and   Greater and long time safety is required. 

 This desiccant can be used where RH is normal to high. Also when cost efficiency is   considered, such desiccant is appropriate choice. 

 When the lead time is relatively long, as such these sachets expire s only when 100%   exhausted regardless the time of application. 

 Activated Carbon sachets are generally used for odor removal, or bad/foul smell absorption  from material during transit or storage. 

 Yes, most desiccants are approved for use by regulatory authorities around the world. 

 Relative Humidity, or RH, is a measure of the amount of moisture present in air at a   particular temperature. It is defined as the following ratio for a given volume of air at a   particular temperature:  

Amount of moisture present in the volume of air 

 --------------------------------------------------------------------- x 100%  

Maximum amount of moisture that is possible 

 It is not possible to give a “safe” level for Relative Humidity as each product will react to   moisture at different levels.