Desiccants as part of the process

Loose silica gel granules are an effective way to reliably protect sensitive hygroscopic products from moisture even during production – especially in critical phases such as the filling process.

Challenge: Moisture ingress during the filling of moisture-sensitive powders

When producing sensitive, highly hygroscopic products such as food supplements, functional foods, or pharmaceutical powders, a consistently dry ambient atmosphere is essential. Even small amounts of water vapour in the air can be enough to impair powder quality – for example, through clumping, poor flowability, or the formation of moisture bridges in the machinery.

The filling phase is particularly critical, as the product comes into unprotected contact with ambient air. Even in sealed-off areas of the filling lines, residual humidity in the air cannot be completely eliminated – especially during temperature fluctuations or after prolonged downtimes.

Solution: Air dehumidification with loose silica gel as bulk material

To keep the air in the filling area permanently dry, loose silica gel as bulk material is used – for example, in industrial air dryers or specially designed system modules. The highly effective granulate lowers the relative humidity to a level that is safe for the sensitive product, even before contact occurs. This reliably prevents condensation and moisture deposits, ensuring a consistently dry production environment.

ThoMar offers loose silica gel in various packaging units, and on request also in larger quantities. The material is regenerable and can be reused after drying, making it a long-term economical solution for many production processes.

Advantages:

ThoMar’s loose silica gel offers a simple and flexible solution for reducing humidity in critical production areas. Thanks to its different packaging options and reusability, it is highly versatile – and particularly suitable for companies seeking to actively protect their processes against moisture exposure.

Even small amounts of residual moisture in sealed product packaging can lead to quality defects – significantly affecting the customer experience and brand perception.

Challenge: Condensation in glasses cleaning kits caused by temperature fluctuations

During the production of glasses cleaning kits, a ThoMar customer discovered that condensation was forming inside the packaging over the course of the manufacturing process. The issue occurred in the tightly sealed plastic container, which holds the cloth, cleaning fluid, and user manual, and also serves as part of the product itself. Due to temperature differences and remaining residual moisture, condensation accumulated inside, impairing the product’s quality.

The moisture inside caused the enclosed cleaning cloth to develop an unpleasant odour, while the paper manual felt damp and crinkled. As a result, the entire kit appeared to be of inferior quality – clearly at odds with the manufacturer’s high standards regarding tactile quality, cleanliness, and overall presentation.

Solution by ThoMar:

To reliably solve the issue, a DesiDry silica gel sachet was placed directly into the plastic container during the production process. The desiccant binds excess moisture from the enclosed air before it can condense. Since the implementation of this measure, the inside of the packaging has remained dry, and all product components retain their intended quality. Scent, feel, and appearance once again fully meet end customer expectations.

Benefits at a glance:

• No more condensation inside the packaging
• Cleaning cloth remains odour-neutral, manual stays dry and smooth
• Simple, cost-effective integration into the production process

This example demonstrates how even a small adjustment in the manufacturing process – the targeted use of a desiccant – can make a noticeable difference. Quality, functionality, and customer satisfaction can be maintained over the long term without any need to alter product design or production flow.

Flowers are not only decorative, but often carry emotional or symbolic meaning – such as a bridal bouquet, a gift, or a reminder of a special moment. That’s why it is so important to preserve their natural beauty for the long term.

Challenge: Preserving colour, shape and structure in delicate flowers

Anyone looking to preserve flowers over time faces the challenge of maintaining their colour and shape as best as possible. Traditional drying methods such as air-drying or pressing often lead to faded colours, deformation or drooping petals, or even brittleness and crumbling. Especially for vividly coloured, delicate blooms, a gentle yet effective drying method is crucial to retain their original appearance as much as possible.

Solution: Flower drying with silica gel from ThoMar

A customer of ThoMar OHG successfully uses loose silica gel, also known as Kieselgel, for professional flower drying. This fine-grained, highly porous granulate is capable of quickly and selectively absorbing large amounts of moisture – without affecting the structure or colour of the plant.

Application steps at a glance:

1. Freshly cut flowers are embedded in a container filled with silica gel.
2. Within a few days, the desiccant gently draws moisture out of the plant – evenly from all sides.
3. The flowers retain their natural colour, shape, and surface texture.
4. After the drying process, the silica gel can be reconditioned and reused multiple times.

Drying flowers with loose silica gel is particularly suitable for businesses looking to preserve larger quantities of fresh flowers – for example, for further processing or for sale as dried decorative goods. Thanks to the controlled drying process, the colour, shape and structure of the flowers are largely retained. This makes the use of silica gel a practical solution for ensuring consistent quality in professional flower preservation.

Floodlights permanently installed in the ground - e.g. for illuminating pathways, squares, façades or stages - are functional and visually appealing, but must function reliably under harsh environmental conditions. They are not only exposed to changing weather conditions, but also to large temperature differences between the operating and resting phases.

To avoid condensation at this point, desiccants (e.g. DesiDry or BoxDryy® from the ThoMar range) can be used to absorb the excess humidity.

The luminaire housing heats up considerably during operation. A physical effect occurs when switching off and then cooling down: A vacuum is created inside the luminaire. This causes moist ambient air to be sucked in through seals or micro-cracks. This moisture condenses on the cold inside of the housing the next time the temperature drops - an often underestimated problem.

Risks due to condensation:

Condensation in ground spotlights can have serious consequences.

Corrosion of electrical contacts, circuit boards and reflectors

Short circuits or functional failures due to moisture bridges

Impaired light output due to fogged interior surfaces

Reduced service life of the light with repeated exposure to moisture

Even with high-quality, IP-protected luminaires, it is almost impossible to completely prevent the ingress of humidity over time - especially with the frequent temperature cycles that are commonplace in outdoor areas.

Solution: Use of high-performance desiccants

To reliably prevent the formation of condensation inside the lights, ThoMar recommends the high-performance desiccant BoxDryy®. With a lower moisture development, the DesiDry silica gel packets can be used.

This is placed directly inside the housing and immediately absorbs the moisture drawn in when the luminaire cools down. This keeps the humidity inside permanently below the critical threshold value for condensation - the dew point. Installation is straightforward, even at a later date, and can be easily integrated into existing maintenance cycles.

The use of these desiccants ensures permanently clear illuminated surfaces, protects electronic components from corrosion or short circuits and extends the service life of the entire luminaire.

Modern bridge structures such as the Öresund Bridge between Denmark and Sweden or similar structures that span bodies of water are subject to extreme climatic and mechanical loads. The situation is particularly critical in the reinforced concrete piers, which have to support the structure for many decades.

For structural reasons, there are cavities or inspection shafts in these piers, often several metres below the water level. Due to their location and surroundings, these cavities are particularly susceptible to:

Condensation due to temperature differences

Ingress of moisture in the event of leaks

Even if these areas are largely structurally sealed, the humidity inside increases over time. This poses a considerable risk, particularly for:

Corrosion of installed steel beams or cables

Mould formation or microbial growth

Impairment of sensors, maintenance equipment or power supplies

Solution: Regulating the humidity with desiccants

To prevent such damage, ThoMar OHG relies on a simple but effective method: the targeted placement of desiccants in vulnerable cavities. These reliably remove moisture from the trapped air over a longer period of time and ensure a permanently stable indoor climate - without any power-operated systems or complex technology.

A practical example is the Öresund Bridge, whose underground pier areas are regularly equipped with desiccants. Depending on the amount of water and application, ThoMar offers for example, the desiccant SeaDry for containers and big places or the CertiDry desiccant bag. This prevents corrosion, moisture problems and faults in technical equipment. The application can be easily integrated into maintenance plans, protects the building fabric in the long term and makes a significant contribution to the operational safety of such infrastructure structures.

IBC containers are indispensable in industrial logistics – but especially after cleaning, residual moisture can lead to unexpected issues. Targeted protection helps to ensure product quality and process safety.

Challenge: Residual moisture after cleaning IBCs

Intermediate Bulk Containers (IBCs) are large-volume, reusable transport and storage units widely used across various industrial sectors. They are designed for the safe and hygienic transport of liquids or free-flowing materials. Thanks to their robust construction, standardised dimensions, and ease of handling, IBCs are a key component in numerous logistical processes.

After use, IBC containers must be thoroughly cleaned to remove residues and maintain hygiene standards. However, a commonly overlooked issue arises: residual moisture or condensation inside the container, particularly in hard-to-reach areas.

Residual moisture poses several risks – it can trigger unwanted reactions such as decomposition or crystallisation when in contact with chemical substances, impair the quality of hygroscopic products, or encourage microbial growth in IBCs used for food or cosmetics.

Solution: Use of desiccants

To achieve effective and rapid drying of IBCs, ThoMar recommends the targeted use of desiccants. Depending on the type of goods being stored or transported, we recommend the DIN-compliant CertiDry dustproof desiccant with hanging strap, or for sensitive goods and food products, the use of a BoxDryy® high-performance desiccant pouch.

Benefits of using desiccants in IBCs:

The use of desiccants accelerates reusability after cleaning, prevents microbial growth by maintaining a dry internal environment, avoids chemical reactions with residual water, and preserves the quality of sensitive or hygroscopic materials.

Moisture is one of the main adversaries in the storage and packaging of sensitive pharmaceutical and food products. Only targeted measures can prevent loss of quality – especially in highly hygroscopic contents.

Challenge: Moisture protection for sensitive tablets and powders

Manufacturers of pharmaceuticals and food products must ensure reliable protection of their goods, even under fluctuating temperature and humidity conditions. Hygroscopic products such as effervescent tablets, chewable tablets or delicate powder blends are particularly sensitive to moisture – they may clump, lose effectiveness or suffer changes in consistency.

Solution: Silica gel granulate or CapDryy® desiccant closures

To minimise risks and maintain product quality during transport and storage, so-called desiccant stoppers are used. These seal tablet tubes airtight and contain a moisture-absorbing agent – usually highly refined, microporous silica gel that absorbs the residual humidity from the enclosed air.

ThoMar OHG supplies an international packaging manufacturer with high-grade, microporous silica gel, which is integrated into the closures of tube packaging. It keeps the internal humidity low and reliably protects sensitive products like effervescent tablets.

As an alternative to direct filling, ThoMar offers CapDryy® – a specially developed desiccant capsule that can be integrated into standard plastic closures. CapDryy® contains pharmaceutical-grade silica gel, is designed for automated filling and sealing processes, and is produced under controlled conditions. The capsule meets the requirements of the European Pharmacopoeia and the FDA. It is available in various versions and ideal for applications requiring high quality standards and process reliability.