Silica Gel

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Silica gel is an amorphous form of silicon dioxide, which is synthetically produced in the form of hard irregular granules (having the appearance of crystals) or hard irregular beads. It is available in porous, granular, and amorphous form, synthetically manufactured from the chemical reaction between sulfuric acid and sodium silicate. The internal structure of Silica Gel is composed of a vast network of interconnected microscopic pores which attract and hold water, alcohol, hydrocarbons and other chemicals by the phenomena known as physical adsorption and capillary condensation.

Silica Gel has been the desiccant of choice by government and industry since W.W.II. By surface adsorption, Silica Gel drinks up excess humidity from the air. It prevents condensation within enclosed areas which causes irreparable damage: rust, corrosion, tarnish, oxidation, mildew, fungus, mold, odor, spoilage, spotting, toning, stains on stamps & documents; fogging of lenses; deterioration of foods and medicines. 


Advantages of Silica Gel:

•Silica gel has ability to adsorb up to one third of its own weight in water vapour. This adsorption efficiency is approximately 35% greater that typical desiccant clays, making silica gel the preferred choice where weight or efficiency are important factors.

•Silica gel has an almost indefinite shelf life if stored in airtight conditions.

•Silica gel can be regenerated and reused if required. Gently heating silica gel will drive off the adsorbed moisture and leave it ready for reuse.

•Silica gel is a very inert material, it will not normally attack or corrode other materials and with the exception of strong alkalis and hydrofluoric acid is itself resistant to attack.

•Silica gel is non-toxic and non-flammable.

 

Regeneration of Silica Gel:

Once silica gel saturated with water, the indicating gel can be regenerate by heating it to 100-120 0C for 1-2 hours. When it completely regenerated, they return to its original color and its dry weight.

Silica Gel Types:

  • Silica Gel Blue: the most common use of cobalt chloride blue gel available in beaded & granular form. It used as an indicating agent when it is free from moisture its color changes to light pink. Most of the transformer industries prefer this silica gel for large transformer breather process.
  • Silica Gel Orange: it is the organic gel to indicate the moisture absorption level, available in the form of hard spherical beads & when it takes up whole moisture level its color changes to green. Orange beads are heavy metal free, environment friendly gel desiccant for protection of packaging products and miscellaneous substances. It has extremely resistance to crushing, highest mechanical integrity and low attrition rate. Silica gel orange MSDS meets the demand for a heavy metal free and environmental friendly indicating agent.
  • Silica Gel White: it is non-indicating gel which is not impregnated with any indicating agents. When white gel particles free from moisture, it goes transparent white or turns into milky white. White silica gel is most of use for dehumidification process.