Silica gel

Description

What is silica gel

Silica gel is a solid material formed from silicon dioxide or SiO2 and has a porous appearance. Silica gel is specially produced and has a high porosity, which is what gives this gel its absorbent properties. Silica gel is non-flammable and has the ability to absorb up to 40% of its weight in moisture. This compound does not cause corrosion or damage to materials, is easily packaged, and is available in various sizes for diverse uses. When stored in a dry environment without moisture, it has unlimited shelf life. It cannot be reused through regeneration or heating as its absorption capacity has been halted. Silica gel is non-toxic and odorless, with very stable thermal and chemical properties. Additionally, when it absorbs moisture, it remains unchanged in appearance. Stay tuned with us in the World of Physical Chemistry journal for more information on this versatile compound.

What are the uses of silica gel

1- It has high moisture absorption properties, making it useful as a water vapor and humidity absorber in pharmaceutical industries, military equipment, electrical industries, oil and gas industry, museums, and historical sites.
2- Used as a stationary phase in chromatography.
3- Catalyst in the petrochemical industry.
4- Absorbent for gases and toxic vapors.
5- Use of silica gel in the production of power drugs, separation of blood products, and DNA cultivation.
6- Consumption in household water purification device filters.
7- Application in automobiles as glass dryers.
8- Moisture absorber and odor absorber in sports bags and shoes.
9- Dryer for double-pane windows and concrete in construction.
10- Use in pet nests.

Types of silica gel

Three types of silica gels are produced on a large scale with each having different uses. They include granular or spherical type, bead type, and powdery type where granular type has the most applications.

Granular silica gel:

Granular silica gel is divided into two categories:
Moisture absorber: Silica gel type WS whose main application is natural gas moisture absorption due to its high water absorption power used as a protective layer for chemical compounds.

Hydrocarbonic (type H):

One of the most practical types used in gas refineries. This gel is used to recover and separate liquid hydrocarbons from natural gas during gas processing and refining processes.

Beaded silica gel:

Beaded silica gel can be classified into two general categories: colorless and blue.

Colorless silica gel:

This colorless compound appears glassy and transparent; hence its activity after absorbing moisture cannot be detected easily. Therefore, a moisture indicator card should be used. This type of silica is used in electronics, medical-pharmaceuticals industries, double-pane glasses to prevent fogging.

Blue silica gel:

This composition appears dark blue or purple before absorbing moisture; after absorbing moisture it turns pinkish. The color change indicates that the silica gel needs to be replaced. This type of silica gel is used for household purposes.

The most important point is that it can be regenerated although its absorption capacity decreases after each retrieval; therefore it should not be used for sensitive applications.

Orange silica gel:

This orange-colored silica gel contains a significant amount of methyl violet dye which helps reach maximum capacity on the gel beads; its color changes from orange to green. Like blue gels can be regenerated by heat treatment once completely dried back to orange color can be reused again.

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