Silica gel & desiccant questions, answered
Everything you need to choose, size, reactivate and order the right moisture-control product.
Choosing a desiccant
Silica gel absorbs up to about 40% of its weight in moisture and suits most packaging. Clay desiccant absorbs 25–30% and is more economical for high-volume shipping in moderate humidity. Molecular sieve is a synthetic zeolite that dries to very low moisture levels and holds it even at low humidity, making it ideal for precision drying and gas applications.
Non-indicating white silica gel and cobalt-free orange silica gel are recommended for food and pharmaceutical use. Blue silica gel contains a cobalt chloride indicator and is better suited to industrial, electrical and instrumentation applications.
Use activated carbon when you need to control odours, gases or volatile organic compounds in addition to moisture. It can also be combined with silica gel for both humidity and odour control.
Using and reactivating desiccants
As a rough guide, use about 1 gram of silica gel per 30–40 cubic centimetres of sealed volume, increasing for humid climates and long transit. For shipping containers, exporters typically use several kilograms per 20-foot container. Share your dimensions and route and we will calculate the exact quantity.
Yes. Silica gel can be reactivated by heating at 110–120°C for 2–3 hours until it returns to its dry state, then cooled in a sealed container. Properly stored, it has an effectively indefinite service life.
Indicating silica gel contains a dye that changes colour as it saturates — blue to pink for cobalt-based gel, and orange to green for cobalt-free gel — giving a clear visual signal that it needs regeneration or replacement.
Ordering and supply
Yes. We manufacture from 0.5 g sachets up to 5 kg packs and bulk, and offer custom pouch sizes, custom printing and private labelling for production use.
Minimum order quantities depend on the product, grammage and any custom printing. Contact our team with your requirement and we will confirm MOQ, pricing and lead time.
Yes. In addition to customers across India, we supply export markets with packaging suited to long transit. Reach out with your destination and volume for a quote.
Still have a question?
Our team can recommend the right desiccant type and quantity for your exact product and packaging.