Desiccants are chemical compounds that allow for establishing a low humidity environment by absorbing all the moisture in the air. They are used for many different purposes such as storage, transport maintenance of materials, and products.
These compounds can also be used non commercially at home to dry out phones, documents, and medication, to extend the life of jewellery, and even to improve the smell of gym bags, cupboards, and closets. Desiccants are either used to remove the moisture already found inside the packaging or to prevent damage in the future by allowing additional moisture to affect the items.
There are many types of desiccants; the most popular ones have activated alumina adsorbents and cobalt-free silica balls. No matter how helpful these chemicals seem, they are a little tricky to get your hands on. The remaining are different types of desiccants and the features they possess, as well as the positives and negatives of each one.
With companies like Bee Chems, leading activated alumina manufacturers, you can not only get your products for very reasonable prices you can also rest easy with their over 10 years of experience.
Alumina
Activated alumina adsorbents are one of the most commonly used types of desiccant. It is one of the best absorbents used worldwide in the removal of moisture or in purification. This is a highly porous form of aluminium oxide. Manufacturers get a lot of demand for alumina as it is one of the best-activated alumina manufacturers, ready to cater to your every need.
This is one of the most common adsorbents used in chemical reactions in various industrial applications. This is because it is very reasonable, does not have that many adverse effects, and is also very fast working. The reason it is this fast working is because of the high surface area to weight ratio as well as its ability to retain moisture for extended periods of time, drastically reducing the amount of maintenance work required.
Silica Gel
This is probably one of the most popular desiccants. Silica gel desiccants are the most commonly used in commercial dealings. This consists of the tiny sachets of desiccant found in your shoes and purses to keep from diminishing in value as well as allow bacteria to grow on the moisture. This is not ideal for heavy-duty purposes such as chemical reactions, but it is perfect for keeping your good in the best condition.
Silica Alumina
This is a white beaded desiccant which is a combination of both silica and alumina, making it the perfect blend. It is effective because it has a very high surface area to weight ratio as well as have a natural tolerance for high temperatures. This is why silica-alumina is used mainly for heated dehumidifying equipment; it also helps that it does not possess the tendency to fracture upon contact with water mist. Several leading activated alumina manufacturers can help you out with any queries regarding silica-alumina.
Synthetic Zeolite
Synthetic zeolite is a yellow desiccant it is also known as a molecular sieve or aluminosilicate. This desiccant is unequivocally better than activated alumina adsorbents and silica gel because unlike both of them, synthetic zeolite shows better absorption rates in high temperatures or regions with low relative humidity. This compound is not typically used in routine compressed air drying processes, it is better suited as a molecular sieve, to separate unwanted molecules from mixed gases or for dying special gases.
Calcium Oxide
Calcium oxide is commonly known as calcined or re-calcined lime. It can absorb about 28.5% of its body weight in moisture. The reason calcium oxide is so widely used is that it absorbs a lot of water at a lower relative humidity; other desiccants cannot do this as well as calcium oxide can. This is why it is mostly used when there are low relative humidity and a high presence of water vapour to get the job done, such as in the packaging of dehydrated foods like instant noodles.
Calcium Sulphate
Calcium sulphate is better known as Drierite and is created by the dehydration of gypsum in a controlled area. It is very inexpensive and is used as a general all-purpose desiccant in labs. This is probably because it is chemically stable, non-toxic, and non-corrosive. However, this absorbs only about 10% of its weight in moisture and does not release it even with an increase in the temperature.
Conclusion
Desiccants are used in many different ways to keep goods in optimal condition. They are used to protect the goods from dew point reduction, container rain, cargo sweat, rust and corrosion, mould or fungus, caking of materials, etc. Leading suppliers like Bee Chems, a top of line Chemical manufacturer, are always ready to cater to your product based needs to keep your goods dry and fresh.