What is the desiccant bag for?

Who has never found a small bag of balls inside a package or packaging, especially if it contains a technological item? If we think about it, we've all seen them at some point, but most of them don't know what their use is and end up thrown away as useless objects. They are desiccant bags, and if we knew their great function, we would surely save them the next time we come across them. Do you want to know what the desiccant bag you find is for? We'll tell you.

What is the desiccant bag inside a package?

It is not uncommon for a wrapped or packaged product to be subject to moisture or water. Both elements favor the oxidation and corrosion of materials, so avoiding these phenomena is essential if we want to preserve the object it stores.

Let's imagine that we buy a technological product. These are made of metal, and we all know the damage that water can cause to them. Now, let's go further; food, clothing, pharmaceuticals, car parts. All of them can be affected by humidity, oxidation or corrosion, so avoiding them in a packed or packaged product is essential for conserving and protecting the object it contains.

A desiccant bag or container desiccant, also called an anti-humidity or moisture absorber has the purpose of absorbing environmental humidity and improving the conditions of transport and storage of goods inside a package.

In addition to protecting against moisture, a desiccant bag is well suited to combat corrosion, dust, and oxidation. In food, it contributes to improving its conservation. In the merchandise, it favors that they have more time to reach their destination, and, in addition, most are reusable and do not run out with a single use. Rarely has such a small object been used for something so big.

How does a moisture bag work?

Now that we know what a desiccant bag is for, let's see how it works. The secret is in the material they contain. This can be made of magnesium silicate, calcium chloride, clay, or silica gels, also called silica gels.

All these materials are desiccants and are characterized by the drying properties they have, and they are great moisture absorbers. Each desiccant bag can have a water vapor absorption power of 80% humidity at an ambient temperature of 25°C. Therefore, it prevents the object stored in the package from absorbing that moisture and allows it to be kept completely dry to preserve its initial state.

The desiccants used in anti-humidity bags are substances that form anhydrous or hydrated bases. A grain of salt in its hydrated form tends to have a great capacity to absorb moisture from the air, drying it out and preventing any other objects a package might have from being capable of getting wet.

Where are desiccant bags used?

Although we have referred to their use within a package or packaging, in reality, desiccant bags have many applications and are used in many sectors. For example, in shipping, industrial desiccant bags are of great importance inside containers.

In maritime containers, the Rain Effect is very frequent, which is the appearance of humidity inside. The placement of several units of desiccant bags distributed within a container prevents moisture from being absorbed by the transported objects, protecting them so that they arrive in good condition at their destination.

But moisture-proof bags are also widely used in plastic bags, cardboard boxes and any type of packaging that contain a wide variety of consumer objects, from shoes to food or technological items. All this makes them widely used in various sectors as different as the mechanical industry, food or the transport of goods in general.

Beyond commercial and industrial jobs, they are very useful in our daily lives. For example, did you know that if your mobile phone gets wet, you can fix it by placing it in a closed container with a desiccant bag?

They are also widely used in toolboxes to facilitate their conservation, eliminating the possibility of oxidation and corrosion. Or they help preserve printed photographs, charts, or video or cassette tapes. They can be used in sports bags to eliminate odors and bacteria or placed on window frames to prevent condensation, and they also help preserve seeds.

Types of Desiccants Used

If we want to know what the desiccant bag is for, we must know the properties of the most common desiccant materials that contain it.

• Silica gel is the most common of the desiccants used in anti-humidity bags. Silica balls have high drying powers. Therefore, these bags are widely used in clothing, food, pharmaceutical and electronic products shipments. Silica gel has high yields, is non-toxic, and is great value for money.
• Clay: Clay is a material that, in addition to its great drying property, is a great protector against corrosion. It is a 100% natural material, sustainable and without the toxicity of any kind. Its properties make it perfect for use as a desiccant in maritime transport, the food industry or mechanics, to name just a few of the fields of use.

Now that you know what a desiccant bag is for, you know that if you are lucky enough to find one in one of the packages you receive, do not throw it away; surely you can think of a greater number of applications beyond preserving objects in the transport and storage of goods. Contact Britwrap; we will offer you the most comprehensive advice on industrial packaging.