Sabine Leroch and Martin Wendland, both engineers at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, describe the process in a 2013 paper: “Liquid water forms bridges in the cavities separating the particles.” The water molecules hold onto each other and the silica gel tightly, while filling up the internal structure of each pellet in a packet - making each pouch feel dry even when relatively saturated. The droplets accumulate and slowly build up enough to make contact with growing moisture deposits on nearby gel molecules. Water from moist air condenses onto the solid parts of silica gel. All the tiny gaps among and between these molecules are what allows the gel to hold onto water so well.
Together, the ingredients create pellets that, when examined closely, are made of molecular nets and have almost spongelike structure. The gel itself is basically a mix of water and silica, the main component of sand. Silica gel packets work by taking in moisture when there’s too much and, if the air gets too dry, releasing some of the water they've already absorbed. Humidity creeps into food packaging, too, and ruins the crunch or chewiness of a snack while encouraging mold growth. Water in the air seeps between seams in casings and can absorb through the plastic directly. Though they appear well-protected, electronics aren’t moisture-proof. Bentonite clay, which comes from volcanic ash, and other chemical formulas, like calcium chloride, also end up in similar places as silica gel packets, for the same purpose: to keep water away from products that really shouldn’t get damp. Technically, silica gel packets are desiccants - the broader category of materials that suck up moisture. And though the packets might be the way we interact with silica gel the most, the material sneaks its way into a range of products you might never see, let alone have delivered to your doorstep. The packets hold up to 40 percent of their weight in moisture, thanks to the accommodating chemical structure of the silicon dioxide molecules inside.
These are silica gel packets, a solution for people everywhere looking to keep their products at perfect humidity levels.
#SILICA GEL DESICCANT TV#
Within shoeboxes, beef jerky bags and TV bubble wrap, lie tiny white packets stamped with a very clear "DO NOT EAT" warning.
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