What is silica gel made of

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Medically reviewed by Alan Carter, Pharm. What happens if you eat it. Mobile Newsletter chat subscribe. Science Questions. What is silica gel and why do I find little packets of it in everything I buy?

How does a dehumidifier Work? Drying with Silica Gel Silica Gel vs. Cite This! Try Our Sudoku Puzzles! More Awesome Stuff. These are silica gel packets, a solution for people everywhere looking to keep their products at perfect humidity levels.

The packets hold up to 40 percent of their weight in moisture , thanks to the accommodating chemical structure of the silicon dioxide molecules inside. And though the packets might be the way we interact with silica gel the most, the material sneaks its way into a range of products you might never see, let alone have delivered to your doorstep.

Technically, silica gel packets are desiccants — the broader category of materials that suck up moisture. Water in the air seeps between seams in casings and can absorb through the plastic directly. Humidity creeps into food packaging, too, and ruins the crunch or chewiness of a snack while encouraging mold growth.

The gel itself is basically a mix of water and silica, the main component of sand. Together, the ingredients create pellets that, when examined closely, are made of molecular nets and have almost spongelike structure. All the tiny gaps among and between these molecules are what allows the gel to hold onto water so well. Water from moist air condenses onto the solid parts of silica gel. The droplets accumulate and slowly build up enough to make contact with growing moisture deposits on nearby gel molecules.

Eventually, the two merge.