Text: Bai Xiaosheng
Editor|Caifeng Bai Xiaosheng
There are so many uses for such a small thing!
When we shop, it always appears in the grocery bag, and this inconspicuous "little one" has never been taken seriously.
When we finish eating, it will be thrown into the trash along with the bag, but it will do more than you think.
How does it help us in our lives, and how can we use it safely?
A wide range of desiccant
Desiccants are very common in our daily lives, and they exist in various forms. They can be found not only in snack packaging, but also in the packaging of books, clothing, shoeboxes, and other items.
Desiccants may seem insignificant, but their types and uses are diverse, and different types of desiccant have different effects and ways to eat them.
With the development of time, there are many types of desiccant for people to choose from, but in our daily life, there are only three most common desiccant, that is, silica gel desiccant, montmorillonite desiccant and quicklime desiccant.
Silica gel desiccant is a kind of transparent or whitish small particles, the main component is silica, they adsorb moisture by physical adsorption, with a good hygroscopic effect, this type of desiccant is non-toxic and harmless, and can be used in many environments.
The second kind of desiccant is made of bentonite, generally speaking, its shape is a small gray ball, they are the same as silica gel desiccant, adsorbed moisture by physical adsorption, suitable for various environments, this desiccant is also non-toxic and harmless, especially suitable for use in low temperature environment.
And the third kind of desiccant, quicklime drying is very dangerous, the main ingredient in it is calcium oxide, I have heard of it, if it meets water, these two "guys" will have a terrible chemical reaction, releasing a lot of heat energy, this desiccant if used improperly, may cause an explosion.
And if you accidentally eat it, it may also cause serious burns to the mouth and esophagus, so you must be careful when using it.
In the market, we can often see silica gel, montmorillonite and activated carbon and other desiccant, silica gel desiccant usually appears in the form of regular granules, which is round to the touch, montmorillonite desiccant is a variety of irregular small particles, and activated carbon desiccant has cylindrical particles, often used for dehumidification and deodorization.
Powdered desiccants should still be discarded simply because they are generally unsafe and can be made from dangerous chemicals such as quicklime.
Little one, big use!
In daily life, the unique function of desiccant can solve many small problems for us, whether it is food preservation, furniture maintenance, or personal hygiene, desiccant can play an unexpected role.
In the humid south, desiccant is the guardian of grain, put desiccant in the container for storing rice noodles, can effectively prevent the problem of food agglomeration or deterioration due to high humidity, but it should be noted that the adsorption capacity of this small package of desiccant is limited, and it still needs to be replaced regularly if you want to store grain for a long time.
Put a small bag of desiccant in the seasoning box, which can prevent salt, sugar and other seasonings from agglomerating due to absorbing moisture in the air.
The odor emitted in the refrigerator is often caused by the humidity of the internal air, by placing a few bags of desiccant, you can effectively remove the odor, just close the refrigerator door, let it sit for a day, you can return a fresh refrigerator space.
Desiccant can also effectively prevent window fogging, especially in the cold winter, the temperature difference between the inside and outside of the vehicle is large, which can easily lead to window fog, placing a few packs of desiccant at the bottom of the window can significantly reduce the generation of fog, so that a small desiccant escorts your driving!
For tools that are not commonly used in the home, such as knives, scissors, etc., as well as electronic devices such as cameras, computers, etc., desiccant can also play a role, rusty tools and desiccant together in an airtight container for a period of time can easily remove rust from the surface, and a bag of desiccant in the storage area of electronic products can reduce the risk of moisture on parts.
Shoe deodorization is also a specialty of desiccant, whether it is due to the smell of foot sweat, or the smell of decay after a long period of wear, desiccant can easily deal with, just put the desiccant into the shoe, after a night, the shoe will be dry again, the smell disappears.
For clothes that are easy to get damp and moldy in the wardrobe, desiccant can also play a role, put a few packets of desiccant in the clothes pocket and the wardrobe to keep the air in the wardrobe dry, eliminate odors, if used with a dehumidifier, the effect will be better!
Desiccant also has the ability to rescue the scene in an emergency, if you accidentally drop the phone into the water, immediately put it into a sealed bag containing desiccant, take it out the next day, the phone may return to normal work, when the book is stained, sprinkle with desiccant, it can also quickly absorb the liquid, give the book an original look.
Although desiccant seems inconspicuous, it actually plays an important role in life, the correct and clever use of desiccant, can not only keep the item dry and clean, but also prolong its service life, let us enjoy the convenience brought by the desiccant at the same time, do not ignore its unique value.
The next time you come across items such as storing snacks, books or clothes, you may wish to pay attention to the type and use of desiccant in the packaging, which may bring you more surprises and convenience.
From 19th century England to modern applications, the evolution of desiccant
In Britain in the 70s of the 19th century, there was a long struggle about how to preserve objects in humid environments, at a time when the Industrial Revolution was booming and the scientific community was increasingly active. Against this backdrop, chemist Smith was faced with a common problem: how to solve the problem of dampness in long-distance transportation?
After pondering it, Smith decided to experiment in his basement on one of the most popular materials in front of him: silica.
Through repeated experiments with silica, Smith and his assistants finally discovered that silica had excellent moisture-absorbing abilities, and at that moment, Smith discovered the New World, which he further improved and renamed, a discovery he called a "desiccant".
He saw the great potential of desiccant and tried to promote it to all interested businesses at the industrial show in London, the birth of desiccant was seen as a major breakthrough, and its role in the food and pharmaceutical industry was very important.
Before the invention of desiccant, food and medicine were difficult to keep dry during long-term transportation, which brought a lot of trouble to merchants, but the advent of desiccant perfectly solved this problem, and really improved the problem of item preservation, which has been making merchants scratch their heads.
Desiccants spread to various countries over time, as early as ancient China, medical scientists have been aware of the hygroscopic properties of miscanthus salt, and this discovery of traditional Chinese medicine preservation has helped, to modern times, with the advancement of the industrial revolution in China, pharmaceutical factories and food factories have begun to use silica gel and other desiccant, in order to maintain the stability and dryness of products.
Get to know the desiccant and use the desiccant!
The rapid development of science and technology has also made desiccant taste sweet, their types are increasing day by day, and more attention is paid to the optimization of performance, in order to make it easier for users to detect the failure of the desiccant, some new desiccant also add indicators.
Whenever the desiccant is out of use, the corresponding indicators automatically change and they change their color to tell the customer that "the desiccant is useless!
Desiccants are one of the most important gadgets in our daily lives, despite their small size, they are able to guarantee the quality of food and medicines, while also extending the life of electronic products.
Whether it is the original silica gel desiccant or the current wide variety of desiccant products, they silently guard our lives and ensure that we have a stable and dry environment. Therefore, we should fully understand the value of desiccant and use this indispensable little assistant correctly and reasonably.
Although desiccant is insignificant, but they have an important role in our lives, understanding the types of desiccant and safe use methods, can help us better protect the safety and health of ourselves and others, but when using desiccant, we must keep in mind the principle of safety first.