PROPASIL
Desiccant silica gel with adaptive absorption capacity for effective protection in any environmental condition.
PROPASIL is a desiccant silica gel designed to provide effective protection against moisture even under the most severe environmental conditions. Made from pure amorphous silica, it comes in the form of a hard, semi-transparent granulate with a unique characteristic: its absorption capacity adapts to environmental conditions consistently ensuring maximum protective effectiveness.
Propasil effectively reduces the dew point inside packaging during transport and storage, fully preserving the quality and properties of products that moisture could alter or damage. The PROPASIL Micro product range offers ultra-compact solutions from 0.5 to 3 grams for small spaces, while standard formats in sachets, chains, panels, canisters and capsules cover every industrial need.
For applications in specific sectors, such as pharmaceutical and food, where contamination issues may arise, special materials that meet the requirements of the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) and Regulations (EC) No. 1935/2004 and 10/2011 can be used.
In particular, PROPASIL desiccant sachets with Tyvek® coating produced by DuPont have been registered with the FDA agency by subscribing to a Drug Master File (DMF) type III for pharmaceutical applications. PROPASIL is certified according to NFH and MIL standards.
Beyond pharmaceutical and food sectors, PROPASIL represents the professional choice for electronic equipments, medical devices, medicine or supplement bottles, optical instruments, leather goods and all valuable products that require reliable long-term protection.
Problems solved by this product
Desiccant salt bags are made from a permeable non-woven fabric, which allows water vapour to be absorbed inside the bag itself. This non-woven fabric, in accordance with DIN 55473, can be divided into two classes depending on the amount of powder that can be released from the desiccant bag itself:
• Class A: Slight dust leakage tolerated (must not release more than 10 mg of dust per desiccant unit);
• Class B: Total dust retention (regardless of the desiccant units, the bag must not release more than 1 mg of dust).
Desiccant bags can also be manufactured with other fabrics approved for food contact, such as Tyvek.
Propagroup strongly advises not to regenerate the desiccant bags of own production "Propasec, Propasil and Propasieve" because this procedure is not recommended by the main European and international standards.
We would like to underline that, the regeneration treatment would compromise the quality characteristics, which would no longer guarantee the effectiveness of absorption capacity.
Furthermore, also the technical characteristics of the desiccant bag, particularly its mechanical strength and tightness of the external wrapping, may be damaged by this procedure.
For many years now Propagroup has also been specialized in the production of desiccants, which are indispensable for preventing the circulation of humidity inside packages and containers or for preventing the formation of condensate in closed spaces, thereby protecting the quality of your products. Desiccant salts hold an important position among Propack's products, and they comprise a wide range of desiccant products of the highest quality, including desiccant clay, silica gel desiccant, and molecular sieves.
The air humidity together with the humidity created by the evaporation of the water contained in the load tend to form a true tropical microclimate in closed spaces. A consequence of this situation is water vapor entering the packages being transported. The condensate that is created and dries causes moisture to form continuously on the goods and results in them becoming stained, often damaging them permanently. The production of Propagroup desiccant salts prevents condensate from forming, thereby becoming indispensable for protecting and preserving the quality and characteristics of your products.
Propagroup is also specialized in the production of desiccants for freight containers to protect the materials from the formation of condensate.
To understand the right quantity of desiccant bags to protect products from humidity, is important to consider some variables. Here following some of the most important:
- Air volume trapped inside the packaging. Air trapped inside the packaging is the main responsible of condensation that, thanks to thermal shock, can develop during transportation. To avoid this kind of problem, we suggest to use desiccant bags.
- The external packaging used. When a barrier material like our Propametic is used, the quantity of desiccant units to use is lower compared to a packaging made of plastic material.
- Type of transportation. The most dangerous are the maritime transportations via container, because of possible temperature changes. A container exposed to the sun and to weather conditions for a long time, undergo to marked temperature variations that affect packaging inside it. In this case it will be very important to protect products with a good barrier material and with an adequate quantity of desiccant bags.
- The protection duration. Another important variable to consider is the protection duration, that is the transportation and storage duration that the packaging is going to face.
There are many other variables to consider, for this reason we suggest to consult our technicians.
Contact us: export@propagroup.com
Desiccant bags for packaging are the most practical and flexible solution to prevent moisture circulation in enclosed spaces. Propagroup has many years of experience in the production of desiccant bags, capable of absorbing and neutralizing moisture and condensation in packaging or inside a container. Our desiccants include a wide range of products that, in addition to guaranteeing a high degree of protection, also ensure total respect for the environment, combining excellent absorption capacity with very low costs.
Reducing the dew point in packaging
Silica gel is a desiccant that is used to preserve and protect from humidity technological and manufactured products that are sensitive to the elements and contained in packaging. For this reason Propagroup developed Propasil, a desiccant made with amorphous silica in the shape of a hard, semitransparent granule. The desiccant silica gel is able to absorb humidity due to its absorbent capacity, thereby reducing the dew point inside the crate during transportation and allowing the product's characteristics to remain unaltered.
Desiccant bags and capsules
This desiccant is widely used in the packaging and electronics fields and in the pharmaceutical and food industries. Propasil micro-pack, which is available in 0.5 to 5 gram bags or capsules, is the ideal solution for small humidity problems. Being highly compact it occupies minimal space within the package, while effectively absorbing the residual humidity. In particular micro-pack bags are used for pharmaceutical items, vitamins, medical devices, and optical instruments.
White or orange-to-green silica gel
Specifically, Propasil is available with white or orange-to-green silica gel. The latter color does not contain cobalt and is in compliance with the Reach standards.
Yes, silicagel is used to protect lenses of optical instruments and cameras against mold caused from humidity. Silicagel has many applications, it is also used to protect pharmaceuticals and chimical products, food, electronic equipments, but also to protect leather from humidity.
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Main desiccants are clay desiccant or silica gel. Silica gel is made from amorphous silica and is hard, granular and vitreous. It is generally employed to protect shoes and bags leather made against humidity. Silica gel exhibits an excellent capacity for adsorption and this varies according to the environmental conditions.
Clay desiccant is a material of natural origin. It is chemically inert, non-corrosive and is composed mainly of calcium and magnesium aluminium silicates. Thanks to its absorption capacity, clay reduces the dew point inside packaging, making it possible to protect the quality and properties of products against moisture attacks.
Silica gel is an excellent drying agent and is thus used as a desiccant and for local humidity control. Although its action is called "desiccant", in reality the physicochemical process whereby water vapour is removed from the air consists in an operation of adsorption: molecules of water vapour bind to the surface of the silica gel, which should not be understood as only the outer surface, but rather the total surface: silica has considerable porosity, and this means a larger total available area for the exchange of matter, that is, a fairly rapid dehumidification process.
Yes, all Propagroup desiccants (PROPASEC, PROPASIL, PROPADRY) are free from DMF-Dimethyl Fumarate. It is possible to ask a certification of absence of this substance contacting us. export@propagroup.com
In the packaging field is the reduction of the dew point inside the packaging or container to eliminate humidity or guarantee preservation of qualities and properties of use of the product packed. Desiccant bag is an example of product absorbing humidity inside the packaging.
In physical chemistry absorption is the incorporation of a substance in one state into another of a different state (e.g. liquids being absorbed by a solid or gases being absorbed by a liquid).
Source: wikipedia | license
In the field of packaging protection we can use adsorbtion to define:
- the diffusion of VCI molecules inside the packaging
- the humidity attraction process from the raw material, like for example unpacked argile or silicagel
Adsorption is the adhesion of atoms, ions, biomolecules or molecules of gas, liquid, or dissolved solids to a surface.
Source: wikipedia | license
In the protective packaging sector we can speak of adsorption to define:
- the phenomenon of diffusion of VCI molecules in the packaging
- the process of moisture attraction by raw materials, such as clay or unpackaged silica gel
In the physical chemistry field, adsorption is generally a particular type of absorption that occurs only at the surface.
Source: wikipedia | license
Bentonite is a clayey mineral made of montmorillonite, calcium or sodium. In the packaging field bentonite is used as desiccant in bags of non-woven tissue to eliminate humidity inside packagings.
Propasecard humidity indicators are cobalt chloride free.
Cobalt chloride is an inorganic compound of cobalt and chlorine, with the formula CoCl2. It is usually supplied as the hexahydrate CoCl2·6H2O, which is one of the most commonly used cobalt compounds in the laboratory. The hexahydrate is deep purple in color, whereas the anhydrous form is sky blue. A blend would be mauve. Because of the ease of the hydration/dehydration reaction, and the resulting color change, cobalt chloride is used as an indicator for water in desiccants. Niche uses include its role in organic synthesis and electroplating objects with cobalt metal. It has been classified as a Substance of very high concern by the European Chemicals Agency.
Propagroup product range for humidity protection also includes a specified desiccant to be used inside container, PROPADRY.
An intermodal container or freight container is a reusable transport and storage unit for moving products and raw materials between locations or countries; the terms container or box may be used on their own within the context of shipping.
Source: wikipedia | license
A desiccant is a hygroscopic substance that induces or sustains a state of dryness (desiccation) in its local vicinity in a moderately well-sealed container. Commonly encountered pre-packaged desiccants are solids, and work through absorption or adsorption of water, or a combination of the two. Desiccants for specialized purposes may be in forms other than solid, and may work through other principles, such as chemical bonding of water molecules. Pre-packaged desiccant is most commonly used to remove excessive humidity that would normally degrade or even destroy products sensitive to moisture. Drierite, Silica gel, calcium sulfate, calcium chloride, montmorillonite clay, and molecular sieves are commonly used as desiccants.
Source: wikipedia | license
Desiccant clay is the name commonly used to define calcium bentonite (montmorillonite), a naturally occurring material that is chemically inert, non-corrosive and composed mainly of calcium and magnesium aluminum silicates.
Desiccant clay is the common name to call calcium bentonite (montmorellonite), a material of natural origin and chemically inert, non-corrosive and mainly consisting of magnesium and calcium silicate aluminium.
Humidity is a term for the amount of water vapor in air, and can refer to any one of several measurements of humidity. Formally, humid air is not "moist air" but a mixture of air and water vapor, and humidity is defined in terms of the water content of this mixture, called the Absolute humidity. In everyday usage, it commonly refers to relative humidity, expressed as a percent in weather forecasts and on household humidistats; it is so called because it measures the current absolute humidity relative to the maximum. Specific humidity is a ratio of the water vapor content of the mixture to the dry air content. The water vapor content of the mixture can be measured either as mass per volume or as a partial pressure, depending on the usage.
A molecular sieve is a material containing tiny pores of a precise and uniform size that is used as an adsorbent for gases and liquids. Molecules small enough to pass through the pores are adsorbed while larger molecules are not. It is different from a common filter in that it operates on a molecular level and traps the adsorbed substance. For instance, a water molecule may be small enough to pass through the pores while larger molecules are not, so water is forced into the pores which act as a trap for the penetrating water molecules, which are retained within the pores. Because of this, they often function as a desiccant. A molecular sieve can adsorb water up to 22% of its own weight.[1] The principle of adsorption to molecular sieve particles is somewhat similar to that of size exclusion chromatography, except that without a changing solution composition, the adsorbed product remains trapped because in the absence of other molecules able to penetrate the pore and fill the space, a vacuum would be created by desorption. Often they consist of aluminosilicate minerals, clays, porous glasses, microporous charcoals, zeolites, active carbons, or synthetic compounds that have open structures through which small molecules, such as nitrogen and water can diffuse. Molecular sieves are often utilized in the petroleum industry, especially for the purification of gas streams and in the chemistry laboratory for separating compounds and drying reaction starting materials. The mercury content of natural gas is extremely harmful to the aluminium piping and other parts of the liquefaction apparatussilica gel is used in this case. Methods for regeneration of molecular sieves include pressure change (as in oxygen concentrators), heating and purging with a carrier gas (as when used in ethanol dehydration), or heating under high vacuum. Temperatures typically used to regenerate water-adsorbed molecular sieves range from 130 °C to 250 °C
Source: wikipedia | license
Silica gel is most commonly encountered in everyday life as beads packed in a vapor-permeable plastic. In this form, it is used as a desiccant to control local humidity in order to avoid spoilage or degradation of some goods. Because of poisonous dopants (see below) and their very high absorption of moisture, sílica gel packets usually bear warnings for the user not to eat the contents. If consumed, the pure silica gel is unlikely to cause acute or chronic illness, but would be problematic nonetheless. Food-grade desiccant should not include any poisons which would cause long-term harm to humans if consumed in the quantities normally included with the items of food.
Source: wikipedia | license
In many items, moisture encourages the growth of mold and spoilage. Condensation may also damage other items like electronics and may speed the decomposition of chemicals, such as those in vitamin pills. Through the inclusion of silica gel packets, these items can be preserved longer.
