Dehumidification without hermetic sealing

Various supply centres, battalions and service centres have already been impressed by the effectiveness and practicality of our SeaDry container desiccants manufactured in Germany. In particular, the SeaDry Pole Horizontal 1,200 g product variant is regularly used by various organisations in containers used as storage rooms and also in vehicles. And the SeaDry Blanket 1,500 g product variant, which can be placed directly on packaged goods and merchandise, has repeatedly been used for moisture protection during container transport.

Corresponding supply articles for the German armed forces are listed under the NCAGE code CM866:

• SeaDry Pole Horizontal 750g, with hook, hangs horizontally, with protective casing
  (VersNr 6850-12-394-2721 / Teilekennzeichen 6850-0071-5)
• SeaDry Pole Horizontal 1,200g, with hook, hangs horizontally, with protective casing
  (VersNr 4440-12-415-8933 / Teilekennzeichen 6850-0071-8)
• SeaDry Pole Horizontal 1,500g, with hook, hangs horizontally, with protective casing
  (VersNr 6850-12-394-2722 / Teilekennzeichen 6850-0071-4)
• SeaDry Pole Vertikal 1,000g, with hook, hangs vertically, with protective casing
  (VersNr 4440-12-415-8934 / Teilekennzeichen 6850-0071-9)
• SeaDry Pole Vertikal 1,200g, with hook, hangs vertically, with protective casing
  (VersNr 4440-12-415-8935 / Teilekennzeichen 6850-0071-10)
• SeaDry Hook 1.200 g, with hook, hangs vertically, with adhesive
  (VersNr 4440-12-409-9690 / Teilekennzeichen 6850-0071-7)
• SeaDry Single 125 g, bag, compact dimensions
  (VersNr 4440-12-415-8937 / Teilekennzeichen 6850-0071-12)
  (VersNr 6850-12-394-2705 / Teilekennzeichen 6850-0071-1)
• SeaDry Single 125 g, ADH, bag, with adhesive, compact dimensions
  (VersNr 4440-12-415-8936 / Teilekennzeichen 6850-0071-11)
  (VersNr 6850-12-394-2713 / Teilekennzeichen 6850-0071-2)
• SeaDry Strip 750 g, ADH, chain, with adhesive, flexible positioning
  (VersNr 6850-12-394-2717 / Teilekennzeichen 6850-0071-3)
• SeaDry Blanket 1.500 g, blanket, lies directly on the goods / packaging
  (VersNr 6850-12-394-2641 / Teilekennzeichen 6850-0071-6)

SeaDry is available in various shapes and sizes to suit your specific application.

The challenge:

During the transfer, which took a good 8 weeks in total, the container travelled through various climate zones with fluctuating temperatures and humidity levels. This posed a considerable risk to the loaded electronics, as even humidity levels above 50% can lead to corrosion damage to cables and components. The customer was looking for a solution to keep the relative humidity constantly low and thus ensure the functionality of the electronics. The packaging components also needed to be protected.

Solution with SeaDry:

The company decided to use SeaDry Hook 1200g for protection. The desiccant was attached to the lashing eyes on the container walls to prevent condensation. In addition to this load securing measure for the entire container, inbox desiccants were integrated within the packaging on the pallets to ensure maximum moisture protection.

Result:

The combined use of SeaDry plus inbox desiccant proved its worth - moisture was kept at a safe level throughout the entire transport. Both the electronic components and the packaging materials arrived at their destination without any damage. The economical use of SeaDry container desiccants was particularly convincing, as just 10 of them per 40-foot container were enough to reliably protect the entire load.

Problem definition:

The textiles were covered with foil in the cardboard packaging, but not individually packed in polybags. The customer's original idea of adding silica gel bags to the cartons turned out to be unsuitable, as silica gel is only effective in airtight packaging.

Solution:

ThoMar recommended the use of SeaDry Single 125g bags. These high-performance desiccants absorb seven times as much moisture compared to Silica Gel, providing optimum protection during the long sea journey.

Result:

By using SeaDry, moisture damage was avoided and the goods were delivered to the recipient safely and in perfect condition. This led to a high level of customer satisfaction and long-term confidence in the use of SeaDry for future shipments.

Here are some recommendations to ensure that your start in dreamland is not spoilt by mould, rust, mildew stains and a musty smell when you open the container.

• A combination of a high-performance desiccant (here: SeaDry on a salt-starch basis) - for use in the container - and a so-called inbox desiccants (here: CertiDry in accordance with DIN 55473 / contains clay granules) - for use inside the moving boxes - offers the best protection.
• Use packaging materials, such as moving boxes, in as dry a state as possible. Paper / cardboard binds moisture depending on the ambient climate; if necessary, dry in the boiler room beforehand.
• Line moving boxes with sturdy plastic film bags / bin liners, for example. Place the packaged goods together with CertiDry desiccant in accordance with DIN 55473 (type A, 4 DU or 8 DU, 1-2 bags per box). Seal the bags (squeeze out the air first) and moving boxes. Tape up the handle holes so that no further moist air can get in.
• Equip the container with SeaDry container desiccant before loading; the SeaDry Pole H 1.2 kg variant is particularly suitable for this application. Simply mount each piece with its hook on the lashing eyes along the long sides of the container (10 pieces per 20-foot container / 20 pieces per 40-foot container). Overseas shipments by private individuals often take three months or longer. With this amount of SeaDry, the removal goods remain safely protected until arrival.
• Place another box of unused SeaDry Pole H in the container. After arrival, check the saturation status of the suspended desiccants (check by weighing: one SeaDry Pole H is saturated at a weight of approx. 3.6 kg). If the house or flat is not yet ready for occupancy on arrival and the load has to remain in the container for longer, use additional SeaDry desiccants if necessary.
• All desiccants can be disposed of in the residual waste after your relocation project is completed.

SeaDry desiccants for containers and CertiDry desiccants in accordance with DIN 55473 are available in the ThoMar webshop or at Amazon.

In order to prevent damage fostered by moisture, e.g. the development of wood-destroying fungi, and the resulting possible complaints from the recipient, our high-performance desiccant SeaDry is both a simple and safe solution. It was specifically developed for use in containers and is manufactured in-house. The container desiccant is suitable for moisture protection during transport and storage of solid wood and wood-based materials. Several wood processing companies are already successfully using SeaDry in their logistics projects. In the case here, the humidity also remained within a non-critical range thanks to the use of SeaDry.

You can find the standard shapes, sizes and fastening options on offer in the SeaDry shop category. With our wide range of desiccants, we can also cover other areas and process steps to meet your needs.

To prevent moisture damage to your valuable cargo over the entire transfer period, our specially developed and manufactured high-performance desiccant SeaDry for use in containers is a solution that is as simple as it is safe. Several producers of glass products are already successfully using SeaDry in their logistics projects. The container desiccant is also suitable for moisture protection during the transport and storage of porcelain, ceramic and enamel goods.

Various shapes, sizes and fastening options are available. With our wide range of desiccants, we can cover other areas and process steps for your needs as well.

To prevent such moisture damage to your valuable cargo over the entire transfer period, our high-performance SeaDry desiccant, specially developed and manufactured for use in containers, is a solution that is as simple as it is safe. Various paper and packaging suppliers already successfully use SeaDry container desiccants in their logistics projects. Various shapes, sizes and fastening options are available (see category page). With our wide range of desiccants, we can also cover other areas and process steps for your needs.

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.

Finding a solution together

After analysing the requirements, the ThoMar product manager in charge recommended the use of twenty SeaDry Hook desiccant chains 600 g. 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.

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.

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.

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.

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 chain SeaDry Strip ADH and the compact desiccant bag SeaDry Single, there were no further complaints from the recipient.

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 supplied the required desiccants, advised the customer on the required film wrapping and arranged the purchasing contact for this. Thus protected, the goods arrived at their destination in perfect condition.

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 high performance 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.

An analysis of the logistics process by the ThoMar 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. Thanks to these measures, there was no further transport damage caused by moisture.

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 SeaDry Blanket (desiccant blanket, e.g. for placement on stretched pallets) and SeaDry 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.

To avoid any risk of damage in the first place, the customer hung several SeaDry Hook 600 g vertical desiccant chains 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.