Indicating Silica Gel

About Indicating Silica Gel

Pointing to silica gel as a desiccant that absorbs moisture and visually indicates it is at capacity by color change. Formulated usually from porous silica beads, it is filled with an indicator dye that is moisture-sensitive usually blue (which changes to pink upon saturation) or orange (which changes to green or colorless upon saturation), depending on the type. With this color change, users can simply check on the status of the desiccant without requiring special instruments. Pointing to silica gel is commonly applied in situations where live moisture measurement is critical, such as storage in laboratories, electronics, pharmaceuticals, and optical devices. It provides the same maximum moisture adsorption level of non-indicating silica gel, up to 30-35% of its weight, but with the added visual indicator for replacement or regeneration. Even though some earlier versions employed cobalt chloride (a toxic substance), most current indicating gels are DMF- and cobalt-free to meet RoHS, REACH, and environmental protection requirements.