Dry-Packs DP40CAN 40 Gram Indicating Silica Gel Aluminum Canister

1. What is Silica Gel?

Silica Gel is a dry solid, not a slick or wet substance as the name mightsuggest. Inside the white packets are beads of this dry solid material thatremain dry to the touch even when fully saturated. The Silica Gel beads absorbmoisture through the porous packet material.

The Silica Gel, made from sodium silicate, is a highly porous substance that canabsorb up to 40% of its own weight, which makes this the highest absorptioncapacity of any commercially used Desiccant. Most Silica Gel products can bereused by reactivating the Silica Gel contents (contact your Silica Gelmanufacturer or retail partner for specific reactivation instructions for theirproducts).

2. What is a Tyvek® Packet?

Tyvek® (spunbonded polyolefin) made by DuPont® and is the type of material thatthe packet is made of. It's 100% high-density polyethylene, which is spun intotough, continuous fibers to protect package integrity from both productbreakthrough inside and rough handling outside. Tyvek® combines the bestproperties of paper, film, and fabric thanks to its exceptional strength, excellent durability, and high porosity. Tyvek® is so tough, it resistspunctures and is ideal for use in abrasive environments. Tyvek®'s tight porestructure keeps even the smallest of particulates from dusting through thepackage.

3. Why Use Them?

Desiccant Products (Silica Gel and Clay) are drying agents used to combathumidity or moisture degradation. Products vulnerable to moisture damage needspecial protection during transportation, storage, etc. to ensure that itremains effective. Silica Gel Packets and Clay Desiccant's provide a simple, dependable, and economical solution for preventing moisture damage in sealedpackaging.

4. Are These Packets Brand New?

Yes, all of our Desiccant Products are brand new and are stored in air-tightcontainers. Upon shipment the shelf life is up to 2 years.

5. Is Silica Gel safe?

Silica Gel is non-toxic and recognized as a "GRAS" (Generally Recognized AsSafe) product by the FDA. The industry standard for Dry Food packaging is SilicaGel packaged in Tyvek, Tyvek is a more sturdy and tear resistant material thenCotton.

Some types of Silica Gel, which they consider Indicating Silica Gel, have beenimpregnated with cobalt chloride, which is blue when it is dry and turns to pinkwhen it is saturated. There have been some significant health and environmentalrisks attributed to the use of cobalt chloride within the Silica Gel includingpossibly causing cancer, along with skin and respiratory irritation. We, alongwith several other retailers, offer a safer alternative which is IndicatingSilica Gel that goes from orange to green and does not contain cobalt chloride.

6. What is Indicating Silica Gel?

Indicating Silica Gel is beads of clear Silica Gel that have been impregnatedwith a chemical that changes color when it comes into contact with moisture.When the color has changed, it means that the Silica Gel is saturated and needsto be replaced or reactivated. This can be useful when long term humiditycontrol is needed, like in a display case.

Some types of Indicating Silica Gel (not ours) have been impregnated with CobaltChloride (II) (normally a Blue or Pink color of Silica Gel) which is classifiedas a IARC Group 2B carcinogen. Our Cobalt Chloride FREE indicating Silica Gelbeads will turn from Orange to Dark Green when the Silica Gel is about 60%absorbed with moisture.

7. How is Silica Gel packaged?

Silica Gel doesn't come in just small white packets we carry a range in sizefrom ½ a gram up to to 4.5 LBS hanging bags.

Smaller amounts of Silica Gel are usually packaged in packets made from Cotton, Tyvek, or Clear Porous Plastic. These porous materials allow moisture to passthrough to and be absorbed by the SIlica Gel. Tyvek is a very durable materialand can maintain packet integrity from rough handling or product breakthrough.

Indicating Silica Gel typically comes in a plastic packet or a container with awindow so the color changing beads can be seen. Some uses of Silica Gel, likedrying flowers, call for loose beads, it is possible to buy a re-sealable bag ofloose beads. Bags of looses beads are usually plastic to maintain the dry stateof the Silica Gel beads so they are ready to be used. Loose Silica Gel beads canalso be reactivated for repeat usage (please read and use the reactivationinstructions on your product packaging).

8. What are some uses for Silica Gel?

Silica Gel has many uses, many of which fall under the category of preventingmoisture damage. Many manufacturers include Silica Gel packets in theirelectronics packaging which helps protect the electronics from moisture damage.Silica Gel has also been known to assist in drying electronic devices that havegotten wet by placing device in an airtight container with some Silica Gel, thusremoving most if not all of the moisture from the device more effectively thanair drying and more safely than applying heat. Leather goods are oftentransported with Silica Gels to help protect them from moisture damage. Storingleather goods with Silica Gel packets can also help protect them from moistureand make them last much longer.

If you have ever seen dried flowers and wondered how they managed to dry themand maintain the colors and shapes, they probably used Silica Gel. Covering theflowers with loose Silica Beads while they are still vibrant and firm dries themquickly, which helps maintain the color and shape of the flowers. Silica Gel canalso be placed in a gun safe to help prevent moisture damage to both guns andammunition.

For people who use dry bags or dry boxes while participating in water sportsadding Silica Gel packets to dry bags or dry boxes absorbs any moisture that mayhave gotten in. Adding a Silica Gel packet to an underwater camera case can helpabsorb any moisture that may have gotten in when the camera was being put in thecase. For scuba divers, the changes in pressure and temperature as they descendcan cause any moisture present in the waterproof case to condense - the SilicaGel packets prevents this condensation from collecting on the camera. Vitaminsand pills are often packaged with Silica Gel packets to prevent the damage ordecomposition due to moisture in the bottle. Silica Gel packets are also used tohelp keep dried food, like beef jerky and pepperoni, fresh.

9. How should I dispose of these Silica Gel products?

The Silica Gel packets that are found with products you purchase, likeelectronics and leather goods, can simply be thrown away in the trash. If theSilica Gel has come into contact with a toxic or hazardous material, it couldpotentially become toxic from the absorbed material. In this event, the SilicaGel should be disposed of in the same manner as the hazardous material thatcontaminated it.

10. How much Silica Gel should I use for my application?

The coverage areas as stated are estimates when used in an enclosed air tightcontainer. The amount of Silica Gel or Desiccant required will depend uponseveral factors including: the chemical characteristics of the product, volumecontents of container, physical properties of the container, and conditions inwhich container will be stored/used. Use the chart below to get an idea of howmuch to start out using.
Minimum Requirements:

Container Size - Packet Size

70 cubic inches - ½ gram
100 cubic inches - ¾ gram
130 cubic inches - 1 gram
260 cubic inches - 2 grams
389 cubic inches - 3 grams
648 cubic inches - 5 grams
1296 cubic inches - 10 grams
2 cubic feet - 28 grams
4 cubic feet - 56 grams
8 cubic feet - 112 grams
16 cubic feet - 224 grams
32 cubic feet - 448 grams
15 cubic feet - 200 grams
33 cubic feet - 450 grams
57 cubic feet - 750 grams
66 cubic feet - 900 grams

11. What's the difference between Silica Gel and Clay desiccants?

While both Clay (also known as Bentonite Clay) and Silica Gel are bothdesiccants, there are some key differences between the two. Bentonite Clayproduces dust where as Silica Gel emits minimal dust particles and when packagedin Tykek®, it is practically dust free. This makes Silica Gel the best choice tobe packaged with items that could be negatively impacted by dust particles likeelectronics or food. As a result of the dust it produces, Bentonite Claytypically needs to be packaged in Tyvek® in order to contain the dust. SilicaGel is found packaged in Tyvek® as well as cotton and perforated plastic.

Silica Gel is absorbent up to 220°F (104°C), which is the point at which itreleases absorbed moisture. Bentonite Clay is absorbent up to 120°F(49°C) atwhich point it begins to release any absorbed moisture back into the air. BothSilica Gel and Bentonite Clay can be reactivated for reuse. Bentonite Clay andSilica Gel are used in industrial settings, but Silica Gel is also commonly usedin commercial and residential settings as well. Silica Gel's absorbent capacityis 40% of its weight; Bentonite Clay's absorbent capacity is only 25%. SilicaGel's high absorption capacity, which is the highest available to consumers, combined with its low dust emissions, and ability to absorb at highertemperatures, it is easy to see why it is the most popular desiccant on themarket.

12. Which products meet the FDA requirements to be used with dry foodpackaging?

Silica Gel is non-toxic and recognized as a "GRAS" (Generally Recognized AsSafe) product by the FDA. Although Cotton, Tyvek, and our 1 Gram PlasticCanister both meet the FDA requirements for use in Dry Food Packaging, theindustry standard is Silica Gel packaged in Tyvek or our 1 Gram PlasticCanister.

13. What size Silica Gel Packet should I use in my 5 gallon bucket?

A 5 gallon bucket is about 1158 CU IN in volume which means a 10 gram Silica GelPacket would be ideal under normal air tight conditions. If dealing with extrememoist conditions (shipping overseas, storing in uncontrolled environment, or ifvaluables are especially sensitive to moisture) you can look at using a 28 GramSilica Gel Packet.

14. What size Silica Gel Packet should I use in my 55 gallon drum?

A 55 gallon bucket is about 7.36 CU FT in volume which means a 112 gram SilicaGel Packet would be ideal under normal air tight conditions. If dealing withextreme moist conditions (shipping overseas, storing in uncontrolledenvironment, or if valuables are especially sensitive to moiustre) you can lookat using a 224 Gram Silica Gel Packet.

15. Will Silica Gel work in my freezer?

Silica Gel will continue to absorb moisture below freezing, but performs best atroom temperatures (70-90º F).

16. Will Silica Gel absorb boiling water?

Silica Gel will work past the boiling point of water, but performs best at roomtemperatures (70-90º F).

17. Does your Silica Gel contain Cobalt Chloride?

Our Indicating (Orange) Silica Gel and Non-Indicating (White) Silica Gel doesNOT contain DMF or Cobalt Chloride (II) (normally a Blue or Pink color of SilicaGel) which is classified as a IARC Group 2B carcinogen. Our Cobalt Chloride FREEindicating Silica Gel beads will turn from Orange to Dark Green when the SilicaGel is about 60% absorbed with moisture.

18. How much Silica Gel is in a "Unit"?

Often times you'll hear Silica Gel referred to in "Units". A "Unit" of SilicaGel is about 28 Grams. So if you need 16 units of Silica Gel, you'd need a 448Gram Silica Gel Packet (28 grams x 16 Units = 448 Grams).