Our 30g silica bead desiccant sachets are of the highest quality and use iron salts as the additive. This high capacity desiccant changes from a deep orange when dry to a very pale yellow when exhausted. The indicator material used in Mylar Shop's desiccant packs are well suited to repeated regeneration and reuse. This means that you can simply dry out the packs and use them again!
Orange to Colourless Indicating Bead Sachets are non-toxic and were created in the year 2000 as a solution to the classification of blue to pink silica as a toxic material. Silica gel will absorb up to 40% of its own weight in water vapour and it has an absorption efficiency that is 35% greater than similar desiccant products.
Our silica beads are reusable and have an almost indefinite shelf life. You merely need to gently heat the sachets and the colour will return and they will be able to be reused.
Each sachet measures 10.6cm x 6.9cm.
All silica desiccants we supply conform to EU and US FDA regulations for food safety.
When the silica gel beads have changed colour to clear/colourless, then they have absorbed as much moisture as they can.
To regenerate them, you need to heat them until the colour changes back to orange.
You can regenerate in an oven on a very low setting (Gas Mark 1/2 or 120C for electric ovens).
The process should take around 1 hour. Spread the silica gel out evenly on an oven tray or ovenproof dish, and check on them after an hour.
The colour should have returned to orange by this time, but if not, leave them in the oven and check on them again every 10-15 minutes until the colour has returned.
You can also regenerate silica gel in a microwave on a low setting, microwaving for 30 seconds at a time until the colour changes back to orange, but the oven method is better as it's a slower and more even process and less likely to damage the silica gel.
Silica gel can be used and regenerated multiple times, but the colour change will become less obvious.