Securing container transports on the New Silk Road against moisture
Field trials conducted together with customers help us to determine the optimal use of our desiccants for the specific application. Now, during the transport of organic food in a 40-foot container on the New Silk Road to China, SeaDry container desiccants were used to protect the sensitive goods from moisture.
Unlike by sea, where the position of the container determines how exposed the cargo is to the elements, by rail the conditions are the same for all containers. The New Silk Road runs for a good 10,000 km not only across national borders, but also through different climate zones. Extreme temperature fluctuations and thus equally strong ups and downs in relative humidity favour the formation of condensation - and thus increase the risk of moisture damage.
Thanks to SeaDry, the relative humidity remains below critical values and condensation does not occur.
Finding a solution together
After analysing the requirements, the ThoMar product manager in charge recommended the use of 20 SeaDry Hook 600 g desiccant chains. These should always be distributed as evenly as possible in the container and can be attached to the lashing rings by means of a sturdy hook. The amount of desiccant required was determined on the one hand by the expected day and night temperatures typical for the time of year (May / June) in the areas passed through. On the other hand, a safety buffer was necessary concerning the absorption capacity, as the transfer on the Silk Road can be considerably prolonged by the rerouting to other gauges as well as by waiting times in the customs area. It had to be ensured that the desiccants could keep the relative humidity at a non-critical level during the entire transport period.
The load is protected during transport not only by desiccants but also by dunnage bags.
SeaDry keeps your cargo dry
Thanks to the data logger used, the temperature and relative humidity could be precisely tracked. The progressions confirmed the precautionary measure of using desiccants during transport. The mould limit of 75% RH was not exceeded at any time, and on average the relative humidity was at an optimal 44.1%. The desiccant chains absorbed a total of 7.7 litres of water, about 60% of their own weight. Since the absorption capacity of SeaDry is at least 200%, there would have been sufficient reserves to ensure a longer transport time if necessary.
Evaluation of the data logger: Despite strong temperature fluctuations, the relative humidity during the experiment was only 44.1%.
Mould on Packaging and Packing Aids
When machine parts were transported in sea containers from Europe to North America by our customer, mould formed on the packaging and packing aids. Test transports equipped with data loggers as well as an investigation of the entire logistics process revealed the reasons: a continuous exceeding of the mould growth threshold during transport, an excessive moisture content in packaging and packing aids as well as an infestation of the pallets / dunnage even before the application.
Reaching a solution together
Several pieces of the container desiccant SeaDry Pole H were suspended from the container's lashing eyes, and the compact SeaDry Single desiccant bags found their place in the shipping boxes. These measures were successful: the use of desiccants prevented the moisture level from exceeding the critical mould threshold during transport. There were hardly any dark spots left on the wood.
On the basis of our advice, the company optimised further steps of its shipping preparations. They use kiln-dried timber now. This step ultimately resolved the remaining mold issue. Our aim is to collaborate on equal terms with our clients, and to help them accomplish the best possible result while managing costs efficently at the same time.
Mould formed on the packing aids
Corrosion on Steel Coils
The greatest threat when transporting coils of steel strip and steel wire from place A to B is corrosion. Too much humidity in the container, together with changing outside temperatures, can lead to a sharply rising corrosion curve. A shipping company specialising in the transport of goods by inland waterway vessels had already dealt with the minimisation of the risk of moisture damage. Those responsible initially decided to use desiccant in the form of a drip system. As the name already suggests, a liquid is created here during air dehumidification. This liquid, to be more precise: brine, leaked onto the metal coils during shipping. This was a perfect starter for rust to form.
Reaching a solution together
Our container desiccant SeaDry, on the other hand, consists of a salt binder mixture. Besides calcium chloride, starch is added to the desiccant bags to bind the water. The salt absorbs moisture from the ambient air and the starch ensures that the resulting liquid is bound to form a gel. This prevents water from leaking and the saturated desiccants can be easily disposed of.
For a test, our customer received precise instructions on how to proceed with the tested desiccants and data loggers after arrival at the destination. The relative water absorption capacity of our SeaDry products (over 200 % of their own weight) was much higher than that of the pure draining systems (approx. 125 %). This makes them cheaper to use than competing products. In addition, SeaDry offers greater safety by binding the absorbed water to form a gel. This means our customer benefits twice over.
Corrosion on metal coils
Corrosion and Musty Smell within Vehicles
The automobile manufacturer regularly shipped upper middle class vehicles in containers from Europe to Central America. Recipients complained of a musty smell inside the car as well as incipient rust formation. Together with the customer, the ThoMar team carried out test transports under real conditions to generate valid data.
The evaluations showed that during transport up to 80% relative humidity was reached in the vehicle interior. This led to odor development. In addition, the corrosion threshold was also regularly exceeded outside the vehicle in the container, which encouraged formation of rust. After our customer applied the desiccant SeaDry Strip ADH and the compact desiccant bag SeaDry Single, there were no further complaints from the recipient.
Photo composition: Car in container
Protect components of clamping devices for vehicle construction against moisture
Project at a ThoMar customer: So-called automated structural plates were to be transported in containers from Germany to Asia. In the automotive industry, the structural panels serve as a platform for devices that are used in the quality assurance of car body components. Due to the electronic components they contain, it was essential to protect the goods in their export packaging from moisture damage during transport.
Reaching a solution together
After a close coordination process between the customer and the ThoMar consultant in charge, the goods were packed in a customised aluminium composite bonnet, together with desiccant bags according to DIN 55473, and sealed airtight. In addition, desiccant blankets - SeaDry Blanket - were used to prevent possible mould growth on the wooden export crate used. For this purpose, the SeaDry Blankets were placed on the aluminium composite foil. ThoMar delivered the film cover as well as the required desiccants to the customer just in time. Thus protected, the goods arrived at their destination in perfect condition.
Clamping device for vehicle construction in export packaging
Corrosion on Chemical Drums
The customer of one of our trading partners, a manufacturer of chemical products, had problems with corrosion on the drums and sealing which occurred during container transport from Europe to the Far East. Measuring the relative humidity in the container during test transports showed a continuous exceeding of the rust limit. In addition, the customer had used pallets with excessive moisture content and had also carried out loading in the open air. This resulted in container rain (condensation of excess humidity).
The use of the desiccants SeaDry Blanket and SeaDry Single proved to effectively prevent corrosion. In order to enable an economically optimized use of desiccants, a weather-protected storage of the pallets as well as a weather-protected loading of the general cargo was organized. Subsequently, the use of SeaDry Single desiccant bags was no longer necessary.
Photo composition: Chemical drums in sea container
Mould after Shipping Cornstarch Sacks
Food is always subject to particularly strict quality control. For example, after the transport of starch from Europe to the Far East, the recipient made an immediate complaint when mould was found on the kraft paper bags, and they perceived a changed product odour. The reasons for this damage were the residual moisture caused by the production process, which led to condensation in the stretched pallets.
An analysis of the logistics process by our consultant showed that the stowage plan and sequence of container loading in this individual case required the placement of a desiccant directly on the bagged goods. Here our customer decided on the desiccant SeaDry Blanket. To further reduce the risk of damage, the company now dispenses with the cover film on the pallets to allow air circulation in the pallet packaging. In addition, before stretching, the small SeaDry Single desiccant bags are placed in empty spaces in the packed pallets.
Photo composition: Starch sacks on pallets in freight container
Beverages: Sodden Cardboard Packaging
Soaked cardboard boxes and peeling labels - this was the picture when the containers of the globally exporting brewery were opened at the port of destination. A desiccant based on salt-starch was already in use; nevertheless, there were repeated problems with moisture damage. In some cases, customs had even prohibited the import due to the condition of the packaging and goods. The quality assurance coordinator had approached us with this issue. They had already tried to deal with the problem by using a higher number of desiccants. But with just under 5,000 containers per year, this approach had a noticeable impact on profits.
Reaching a solution together
Together with the company, we worked out a procedure with the aim of using desiccants in a more effective way. In principle, the temperature fluctuations between day and night can already be sufficient for the humidity in a freight container to repeatedly exceed a critical level. In addition, the analysis of the ThoMar consultant in charge revealed that the individual course of the packaging process in the specific case further favoured the formation of condensation in the packed sales containers.
To prevent moisture damage to the contents and packaging of the container cargo, our SeaDry container desiccant is a solution that is as simple as it is safe. In the case described, the choice fell on the variants "Blanket" (desiccant blanket, e.g. for placement on stretched pallets) and "Single" (compact desiccant bags for flexible positioning). The adaptation of the packing scheme on the pallets by the customer enabled a particularly effective application in terms of both effectiveness and economy.
Photo composition: Pallets with beverages in a container
Protecting Sensitive Metal Parts from Corrosion during Storage
Freight containers are regularly used to store products temporarily or permanently. The storage capacities of our customer from the medical technology sector were exhausted, the extension building was not yet completed. Therefore, a part of the high-quality and moisture-sensitive articles had to be temporarily stored in a container on the company premises in south-west Germany. To avoid any risk of damage in the first place, the customer hung several SeaDry Hook 600 g from the lashing eyes in the container corrugations and used data loggers to monitor temperature and humidity throughout the entire storage period (March to June).
The measures have absolutely paid off. The container was exposed to direct sunlight during the day. The data logger recordings showed strong temperature fluctuations between -2.2° C and +43.9° C - this means a maximum risk of condensation! Nevertheless, the corrosion threshold in the container was not exceeded during the storage period: The average value was 37.3% relative humidity. For ThoMar, this result is proof that the SeaDry container desiccants, originally developed for the purpose of securing cargo during sea transport, are also highly effective in the area of storage.
Container as interim storage
Protection against Moisture in Temporary Storage for all Kinds of Goods
An increasing number of companies and also private individuals are renting storage space on a seasonal or permanent basis in large container villages or self-storage facilities. The storage spaces are relatively cheap and available in all sizes, and the user usually has 24/7 access to his compartment or container. However, there is often no electricity there and therefore no possibility to heat one's own storage space or to set up an electric dehumidifier, for example, so that the stored products are protected from condensation and thus from moisture damage in the changing climatic conditions.
An equally simple and effective solution to this problem is the use of container desiccants, such as SeaDry from ThoMar's range. With the coordinated mix of calcium chloride and starch, SeaDry desiccants draw moisture from the air like a sponge and store it safely inside the desiccant bags. SeaDry comes in various shapes and sizes, as well as with different attachment options - sure to suit your needs.
Self Storage Container Facility
Do you transport your goods by sea container or do you use container transport by rail via the New Silk Road? The most important thing for you, as well as every exporter, is that the load arrives at your client as a whole and in one piece, isn't it? Stretch wrap, lashing straps, anti-slide mats, and further packing aids are used when securing cargo. Still you can never be sure what nasty surprise awaits the person opening the container at the port of arrival. High humidity and extremely fluctuating temperatures for weeks on end throughout the trip can damage the goods themselves, their wrapping, and the packaging aids. That might as well be each carrier's nightmare.
Or do you use containers as additional storage space, permanently or temporarily? Even the temperature fluctuations between day and night can be enough to cause the humidity in storage rooms to repeatedly exceed a critical level. Mould, rust and changes in the smell or taste of the contents and packaging of the stored cardboard boxes, big bags or general cargo are the possible consequences, just as with container transport.
If you've just been confronted with the unpleasant follow-up of a transport or storage damage due to too much moisture, rest assured: You are not alone. It doesn't matter if you produce cars, machinery parts, or metal coils, if you brew or bottle beverages and liquors, or if you manufacture apparel or leatherware. ThoMar OHG recommends the use of a long-term effective dehumidifier based on salt and starch. The salt attracts moisture from the ambient air, which is then immediately bound to a gel by the starch and cannot escape.
Our high performance desiccant SeaDry was originally developed specifically for the use in sea containers, but is also ideally suited for rail transport. Furthermore, it protects stored goods against moisture damage. Clients from various industries, e.g. machine construction, automobile manufacturers, or the food industry, trust in the performance of SeaDry made by ThoMar. We provide solutions, not only products.
