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1.1. Montmorillonite Clay

A naturally occurring adsorbent called montmorillonite clay is

produced by carefully drying sub-bentonite-type magnesium aluminum

silicate. At extremely low temperatures, this clay will successfully

regenerate for recurrent usage without suffering significant degradation or

swelling. Clay, however, rapidly releases moisture back into the container

as temperatures rise due to this characteristic.

1.2. Silica Gel

Silica gel is a naturally occurring mineral that has been treated and

purified to either take the shape of granules or beads. It works well as a

desiccant because of its strong affinity for moisture molecules and typical

pore size of 24 angstroms. Silica gel can absorb moisture up to 220°F

(105°C) in temperature. The rate of moisture pickup will slow down as the

temperature rises beyond 100°F, but silica gel will continue to function.

The relative humidity in a container will decrease to about 40% RH when silica

gel is used, which works best at room temperature (70° to 90°F) and high humidity (60

to 90% RH). Similar to clay, silica gel has a wide variety of pore diameters, making it

capable of absorbing substances besides water. Water, ammonia, alcohols, aromatics,

diolefins, olefins, and paraffins are in the relative order of adsorbability.

2. Classification of Desiccant Silica Gel

2.1. Indicating Silica Gel

It is a 2-5mm size of silica gel that changes color depending on the

relative humidity of the surrounding air. It may have a hefty, spherical form

to it. It serves primarily as a relative humidity indicator for moisture-proof

packaging. The relative humidity of the surroundings can be determined

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by measuring the moisture absorption capacity of the indicated drying

agent.KUYA