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The Use of Desiccants in the Pharmaceutical Industry

The pharmaceutical packaging industry is growing every year. It is estimated to be 99.02 billion US dollars in 2021. This figure is expected to surge in 2022 and reach almost 104.88 billion US dollars.

One of the essential components of the pharmaceutical industry is desiccants. Desiccants absorb the humidity and control the moisture content. Various types of desiccants are used to reduce the moisture content in medicines to preserve the quality and prolong the medicine’s life.

There is a long list of desiccants that can be used for pharmaceutical needs. This list includes silica gel, montmorillonite clay, molecular sieves, and many more.

What To Consider When Selecting A Desiccant:

We should take certain factors into account before selecting a desiccant for a specific medicine.

  • The type of container or package for the product
  • The volume of the container
  • Rate of absorption required
  • Cost-effectiveness of the desiccant
  • Climate
  • RH levels

Elements and qualities of desiccants help us differentiate between different desiccants and decide which one would be a good choice.

Silica Gel:

Silica gel is the most popular form of desiccant and can hold up to 40 percent of its weight in moisture.

It is suitable to use silica gel when the products have high relative humidity levels and stable temperatures where the product is stored.

You should also consider the type of silica gel used. There are different colored silica gel like the blue silica gel, orange silica gel, and white silica gel, which change color to indicate if they have absorbed the moisture to full capacity.

Silica gel does not perform well in environments with low humidity. If you are looking to buy silica gel online, we have got your back! Reach out to us to find the type of silica gel you need.

Molecular Sieve:

There are multiple types of molecular sieves, such as 13X, 3A, 4A, 5A, and carbon molecular sieve.

Molecular sieve provides faster and stronger adsorption of moisture and also helps in absorbing impurities. It performs well in conditions with low relative humidity levels.

Molecular sieve is also a more expensive form of desiccant.

To get high-quality molecular sieves and know more about its different forms, reach out to our experts!

Montmorillonite Clay:

Montmorillonite clay is a naturally occurring adsorbent and is cost-effective as compared to other options. It performs efficiently in an average temperature and RH range.

We manufacture desiccants in various forms, such as desiccant canisters and desiccant tablets.

To know more about our desiccant range and other queries, contact us today!

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