Silica Gel Desiccants

Orange and White Silica Gels

Although silica is referred to as a "gel", it is in fact entirely solid. Its microporous structure and high surface area are ideal for the removal of moisture from the atmosphere.

As the silica granules adsorb moisture, their physical appearance does not change in any way. Indeed, silica gel is dry to the touch even when fully saturated with water. Since the dehydration process is physical (i.e. not chemical), no by-products are released as the water molecules become trapped inside the pores of the silica gel. Once fully saturated, the product can be regenerated by heating at 100 - 120 °C.

Orange silica gel contains an indicating dye that changes colour (from orange to green) as moisture is adsorbed. In contrast, white silica gel does not contain an indicating dye; it is therefore used in applications where the user cannot see a colour change (e.g. in sachets).

Silica Gel Sachets and Bags

Material Harvest collaborates with manufacturers of silica gel desiccant sachets and bags. Our customers use these products in a number of applications including ships' hulls, food items, medical and pharmaceutical products, electronic components, optical lenses and transport containers.

The sachet sizes are customisable and can hold from several grams up to several kilograms of silica. They are flexible, robust and able to “breathe” (so that water molecules can penetrate the packet). Standard sachet materials include tea-bag paper, fabric, cotton, oriented polypropylene (OPP) and Tyvek™; the packet can be either heat-sealed or sewn.

If you are a medium or large scale user of such products we encourage you to contact us to find out how we can support your business. We can provide the following services:

• Negotiating with suppliers to lower product cost. Our experience at negotiating with overseas suppliers will save you money and time. You no longer have to spend your own time negotiating - we can secure the most competitive prices for you.
• Importing and logistics. We can carry out the logistics so that you do not waste any of your time dealing with freight forwarders. For UK customers we are also able to handle all formalities in relation to paying import tax/duties. We are experienced importers and have access to low-cost and efficient delivery services.
• Lowering the minimum size of your orders. By consolidating our orders, we are able to give our customers excellent prices even if their orders are too small to individually qualify for such prices directly with the manufacturers.