Desiccant Information

A desiccant is a hygroscopic substance that induces or sustains a state of dryness (desiccation) in its local vicinity in a moderately well-sealed container.

There are three different main types of Desiccant Absorbers that we use.

- Silica Gel Desiccants
- Clay & mineral Desiccants
- Calcium Chloride based Desiccants

They each have their different properties which make them suitable for different purposes. Absortech Australia offer Desiccant Products based on one of or a combination of these desiccant types.

Silica Gel Desiccants are good absorbers at room temperature, but tend to catastrophically give up the absorbed water if the temperature gets near 40C. In our opinion they are unsuitable for use in containers where such temperatures are not uncommon. - We offer the Esorb Silica Gel Desiccant Range which are available in various sizes.

Clay & Mineral Desiccant absorbers are a cheaper desiccant, but also have a low absorption. In moderate conditions they are an alternative, but are unable to handle more challenging circumstances. - We offer the Esorb Mineral (MD) Desiccant and Montmorillonite Clay (MT) Desiccant Range which are available in various sizes.

Calcium Chloride is the most aggressive desiccant absorber. As the salt absorbs moisture from the air a saline solution – a brine – is formed. This brine needs to be handled with care. It is strongly corrosive on metals. If left exposed to the air, the brine will under some circumstances give up the moisture it as absorbed in a way that can cause great damage, in some cases even leaving a briny pool. The Absorpole / Absorbag / Absortop product are all based on the use of high grade Calcium Chloride to aggressively remove moisture from the air. The resulting brine is collected in a container where it is safely sequestered from further contact with the air. This simple principle is the bass of superor functional properties of these products: - Our Calcium chloride based desiccants are the Absorpole Shipping Desiccant, Absorbag Shipping Desiccant & Absortop Shipping Desiccant