What makes a good desiccant?

What makes a good desiccant?

The most common desiccant is silica gel, an otherwise inert, nontoxic, water-insoluble white solid. Tens of thousands of tons are produced annually for this purpose. Other common desiccants include activated charcoal, calcium sulfate, calcium chloride, and molecular sieves (typically, zeolites).

What is the difference between silica gel and molecular sieve?

The key difference between molecular sieve and silica gel is that a molecular sieve is a material containing pores of similar size, whereas silica gel is a substance can be used to prepare a porous material with pores of different sizes.

What is a molecular sieve desiccant?

Molecular sieve is a fast-drying agent, with the ability to trap moisture quicker and more aggressively than silica gel. This material is ideal in products that require low humidity and remains stable when temperatures rise.

Is molecular sieve expensive?

Molecular Sieve is considered the most aggressive and expensive desiccant and is comprised of a manufactured crystalline version of zeolite containing a network of uniform pores and empty cavities. These desiccant bags are packaged and shipped in quantities of 3,000 per container.

How fast does desiccant work?

In room ambient conditions (22°C and 35%) the sachet has a quick initial adsorption and once it exceeds half of its adsorption capacity, the adsorption process gets slower. The point when it slows down is reached in approximately 15 days, which it is still very short.

What is the most effective desiccant?

Molecular sieve
Molecular sieve is the best desiccant based on technical performance characteristics. Its ability to adsorb moisture, in this case water vapor, is so pronounced that it can remove trapped H20 molecules from a fully saturated silica gel bead, which in turn changes the silica gel back to its original Cobalt blue color.

What is the strongest desiccant?

How does a molecular sieve work?

A molecular sieve works by adsorbing gas or liquid molecules that are smaller than the effective diameter of its pores, while excluding those molecules that are larger than the openings. The size of the pores of both Type A and Type X molecular sieves is closely controlled during the manufacturing process.

Why do we use molecular sieve?

Molecular sieves are used for drying gases and liquids and for separating molecules on the basis of their sizes and shapes. When two molecules are equally small and can enter the pores, separation is based on the polarity (charge separation) of the molecule, the more polar molecule being preferentially adsorbed.

What is molecular sieve used for?

How much desiccant is needed?

Follow a general rule of thumb that is 1.2 units of an adequate desiccant will help protect approximately one cubic foot of container space. One unit of desiccant would be equivalent to 33gms of desiccant clay bag.

Is baking soda a desiccant?

Carpet Treatment—Baking soda is a gentle desiccant, meaning it absorbs moisture from the environment, and since carpet tends to behave like the big sponge everyone walks across in your house, baking soda makes an ideal carpet treatment.

What is the difference between molecular sieve and zeolite?

The basic difference: Zeolite/Molecular sieve has a strong absorbent capacity which is used to purify the gas, but avoiding direct exposure in the air. Regeneration should be done based on long storage time (The common shelf time is 1 year). Molecular sieve avoid contacting with oil and liquid water.

How is a molecular sieve made?

Molecular sieve starts out as powder. The powder is then combined with a binding material. This allows the powder to be rolled into beads. These beads are partially dried at 600-700 degrees F, which turns them into a ceramic. In addition, all molecular sieve starts out as 4A, or the sodium form.

What is Desiccant silica gel?

Desiccants are compounds or agents, such as Montmorillonite Clay or Silica Gel, used in facilitating low-humidity environments by adsorbing moisture content from the air. Typically used in transport, storage, or maintenance of materials and products,…