How to Activate Silica Gel
Silica gel is a commonly used desiccant to control the humidity and moisture level in many commercial products that contain metal. It is capable of absorbing more than a quarter of its weight worth of water. Many people mistake silica as being capable of absorbing liquid water, but this is not true. As a desiccant, it promotes dryness and will absorb water vapor only. It performs best at room temperature and with humidity levels ranging from 60 to 90 percent. In its unsaturated form, silica gel beads are deep blue but will fade to pink when they become partially hydrated. Once fully saturated, silica becomes white and is considered deactivated.
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Things You'll Need
- Tray
- Oven
- Scissors (optional)
- Cupcake papers (optional)
- Sewing thread and needle (optional)
- Sealed container
Instructions
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1
Preheat a well-ventilated oven 110 degrees Fahrenheit.
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2
Place the silica gel packet on a tray. If you can't see through the packages you may cut them open and pour the beads on top of the packet or into cupcake papers, but this is optional.
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3
Put the silica gel into the oven for two to four hours. Close monitoring isn't necessary, but you should keep an eye on it. Remove the beads whenever they have returned to their unsaturated color, which will likely be a dark blue.
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4
Wait for all materials to cool before handling them. You may then replace the silica gel in its packet and sew it up, or create a new packet.
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5
Store the packets or the straight gel in a sealed container until use.
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Tips & Warnings
This process can be repeated and the silica gel reused once it has been saturated.
Silica gel may also be orange when unsaturated and green when saturated, but this is far less common.
Do not eat silica gel. If you sew your own packets, make sure to mark "Do not eat" clearly on them and sew them tightly so they don't spill.
References
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
