Desiccants, How are they used? What do they do?
There are several kinds of desiccant products available in the market, including silica gel, activated carbon, calcium sulfate, molecular sieve etc. They are used for different purposes and different places. It is very important to use the right kind of desiccant for the recommended purpose. For instance, salt is a desiccant product, but leads to the corrosion of metal objects when contacted. Hence it cannot be used for drying areas where metal objects have been stored.
How Desiccants are used?
The Desiccant products work on the principle of moisture adsorption from the air. The term adsorption pertains to the weak intermolecular acting forces. These drying agents work on the mechanism of multiple layer adsorption attracting thin layers of moisture molecules from the air to the desiccant surfaces. Some products work on the capillary condensation mechanism with small pores that eventually get filled with water molecules.
Utility of Desiccant Products
Desiccant products are of great use where the rate of evaporation is quite low due to the high percentage of humidity in the atmosphere. Desiccants are also called Dehumidifiers as they absorb the extra amount of moisture from the air to keep it dry and hygienic.
Dehumidifiers are used in several ways both at home as well as for industrial purposes. Following are some of the important uses of desiccant products.
Transportation of Goods: The commercially developed drying agents are very important for packaging process while shipping products.
Activated Carbon Desiccants: Carbon is appreciated for extracting the impurities in the air and leaves a fresh and hygienic atmosphere all around. One of the greatest qualities of using carbon desiccants is that it eliminates the foul smell in the enclosed areas such as storerooms, garages and basement areas.
Natural Desiccants: Desiccants not only find implementation at the commercial complexes, but are equally important for the protection of domestic goods. For instance, spices, pulses and other food items can get rotten due to the moisture contact that often leads to the formation of lumps or germs. Many people use rice as a natural desiccant to prevent the food items from getting damaged. Putting some rice in the jar of spices can protect them for a longer period as it will soak the moisture inside. Likewise salt is also a natural desiccant.
Preserve Chemicals: Some chemicals can form compounds when they come in contact with moisture. Hence, while storing chemicals; non reacting desiccant products are used.
It is very important to select the right kind of desiccant product to ensure ultimate protection for your goods and fulfilling the purpose of using them. The knowledgeable staff at Delta Adsorbents can guide customers to purchase the accurate product as per requirement.