Depending on your industry and the product you are shipping, it may be worth considering, if not a necessity, to use anti-humidity desiccant bags to ensure maximum protection for your goods. In this post, we explain everything about these bags found in many of the packages you receive.
Because condensation forms in the container
When shipping by sea, large temperature fluctuations occur within containers. Between ports located in different climatic zones and above all on the high seas, especially between day and night, there can be temperature variations of several tens of degrees Celsius. Since hot or very hot air can absorb much more moisture than cold air, lowering the temperature in hermetically sealed transport containers leads to the formation of condensation water. And thus to phenomena such as condensation or ‘container rain’ inside the container and condensation on the load. To prevent your luggage from moisture damage, anti-humidity desiccants are an ideal solution.
What are desiccants?
Desiccants are bags of moisture absorbing material that actively remove excess humidity from ambient air, in order to protect goods and materials from moisture damage.
How does the moisture absorber bag work?
A desiccant is defined by its drying properties. A property that comes in particular from two types of minerals: silica and clay.
How to use a moisture absorber? Simple: Simply put one (or more, depending on the size of your shipment) bags close to your cargo, ensuring
Silica gel: From food to electronics and textiles
This is the most common gel today. With strong drying power, silica balls in a moisture-wicking sachet keep packs dry.
You can use anti-humidity bags with silica in the following cases:
- Clothing shipping
- Pharmaceutical Shipping
- Shipping of food products
- Shipment of electronic products
Silica gel is a high-performance, non-toxic, desiccant solution that is suitable in most cases. It has excellent value for money.
Clay: The anticorrosion par excellence
In addition to silica, a desiccant can also contain clay. Not only with drying properties but clay is also valuable to protect your products from corrosion.
This makes it a perfectly suitable product for companies in the following sectors:
- Food industry
- Mechanical industry
- Marine transport
- Moisture-wicking sachets are made from clay and are 100% natural and, of course, non-toxic.
The benefits of anti-moisture sachets
As we have seen, desiccant bags offer discreet protection against a number of threats to your products.
The anti-humidity sachets are suitable to combat:
- Oxidation
- Corrosion
- Powder caking
- Humidity
But its use is also highly beneficial in the unique case of food transport.
Placing desiccant bags in food shipments helps improve food preservation.
As moisture is absorbed, merchandise has more time to reach its destination in the best possible condition.
In addition to their non-toxicity, silica or clay-based moisture-wicking bags are reusable. In fact, its absorbent power doesn’t exhaust with simple use in the transport of goods. Let’s look at how to reuse them.
How to reuse moisture-proof bags?
Silica bags are not intended to be disposable, only if when it arrives at their destination, it is very wet and, therefore, they can’t be used again.
However, it is possible to regenerate the anti-humidity bags very easily:
- Place the bags in a container
- Heat the container between 120ºC and 150ºC for one hour.
- The bags regain all their absorbent properties and can be reused.
- Other uses of anti-moisture bags
The applications are, in fact, numerous and cover a variety of application areas that largely fall outside the spectrum of freight transport.
Silica bags can be used at home:
- To keep a closet dry.
- And to avert condensation on a windshield.
- To prevent the proliferation of bacteria or the appearance of mold in the bathroom or in a sports bag.
- Keep old photos safe.
- Attempting to salvage a wet phone or any other type of electronic device.
Remember that desiccant bags have important drying properties. Not only do they keep all your shipments dry, but they also ensure that your transport of delicate products (such as food) improves their conservation.
Clay additionally has anti-corrosive properties that are suitable for use in industrial settings.
Also, remember that the useful life of a moisture-proof bag does not stop once you open the package. It also has many applications in the home.
The three key points to remember:
- Desiccant bags consist of sicile gel or clay.
- Both are non-toxic and allow moisture to be absorbed from the space where they are located.
- The bags are generable by heating them for 1 hour and are also suitable for many innovative applications at home.
At Britwrap, we are experts in packaging, so if you want to buy anti-humidity bags or have doubts about how to send your merchandise, you have landed in the perfect place. Call +44 151 934 1250. Remember that we deliver in 24/48 hours to the entire UK. You can also send an email to info@weirbags.co.uk or visit our website:
