Are Silica Gel Packets Toxic?ĭespite the versatility of silica gel, one way not to use the material is as a snack. Aerogels - silica variants that are a kind of solid foam - make for good insulation in boots and on a Mars rover. For scenarios where manufacturers need thinner or more dispersed water-removal technology, engineers developed thin sheets and powdered versions of silica gel. Researchers are happy to rework the silica format, too. A team of microbiologists, for example, tucked samples of the Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteria into individual packets and found that silica gel did a good job of keeping the potential pathogen alive during transit between labs. Researchers are constantly experimenting with silica gel packets and other desiccants to see what the materials can accomplish. Silica gels might not respond best to heat from an electronic device, they found, but other desiccants might pull this trick off. If these moisture-sucking additives do their job while the devices are off, then maybe the heat the technology generates while powered on can remove the moisture the desiccants soaked up and keep them working for longer, the team reasoned. That’s why a team of engineers at the Technical University of Denmark investigated whether or not electronics can provide enough heat to dry out desiccants inside their plastic casings. Heat is strong enough to break the relatively weak bonds between the silica gel and water, and lets moisture evaporate out. Since silica gel holds onto water that condensed onto its chemical structure, it’s possible to reverse the process. Sabine Leroch and Martin Wendland, both engineers at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, describe the process in a 2013 paper: “Liquid water forms bridges in the cavities separating the particles.” The water molecules hold onto each other and the silica gel tightly, while filling up the internal structure of each pellet in a packet - making each pouch feel dry even when relatively saturated. The droplets accumulate and slowly build up enough to make contact with growing moisture deposits on nearby gel molecules. Water from moist air condenses onto the solid parts of silica gel. All the tiny gaps among and between these molecules are what allow the gel to hold onto water so well. Together, the ingredients create pellets that, when examined closely, are made of molecular nets and have almost sponge-like structures. The gel itself is basically a mix of water and silica, the main component of sand. Silica gel packets work by taking in moisture when there’s too much and, if the air gets too dry, releasing some of the water they've already absorbed. Read More: Is 'Expired' Milk Safe to Drink? Here's How to Know When to Throw Away Food Humidity creeps into food packaging, too, and ruins the crunch or chewiness of a snack while encouraging mold growth. Water in the air seeps between seams in casings and can absorb through the plastic directly. Though they appear well-protected, electronics aren’t moisture-proof. Bentonite clay, which comes from volcanic ash, and other chemical formulas, like calcium chloride, also end up in similar places as silica gel packets, for the same purpose: to keep water away from products that really shouldn’t get damp. Technically, silica gel packets are desiccants - the broader category of materials that suck up moisture. And though the packets might be the way we interact with silica gel the most, the material sneaks its way into a range of products you might never see, let alone have delivered to your doorstep. The packets hold up to 40 percent of their weight in moisture, thanks to the accommodating chemical structure of the silicon dioxide molecules inside. These are silica gel packets, a solution for people everywhere looking to keep their products at perfect humidity levels. Within shoeboxes, beef jerky bags and TV bubble wrap, lie tiny white packets stamped with a very clear "DO NOT EAT" warning.
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