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Silica Gel
What is silica gel and why do I find little
packets of it in everything I buy?
Little packets of silica gel are found in all sorts of
products because silica gel is a desiccant -- it adsorbs and
holds water vapor.
In leather products and foods like pepperoni, the lack
of moisture can limit the growth of mold and reduce spoilage.
In electronics it prevents condensation, which might
damage the electronics.
If a bottle of vitamins contained any moisture vapor
and were cooled rapidly, the condensing moisture would ruin the pills.
You will find little silica gel packets in anything
that would be affected by excess moisture or condensation.
Silica gel is nearly harmless, which is why you find
it in food products.
Silica, or silicon dioxide (SiO2), is
the same material found in quartz.
The gel form contains millions of tiny pores that can
adsorb and hold moisture. Silica gel is essentially porous sand.
Silica gel can adsorb about 40 percent of its weight
in moisture and can take the relative humidity in a closed container down to about 40 percent.
Once saturated, you can drive the moisture off and
reuse silica gel by heating it above 300 degrees F (150 C).
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Desiccant silica gel packet
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