Electronics
The focus of the Dri-Box Moisture Control System.
Food
Everyone needs it, and needs it to stay clean and dry when stored.
Shipping
Keep that cargo safe!
Sailing
Those ocean breezes may be invigorating, skipper... but they're
corrosive as well.
Tools
Keep their metal rust-free and their wood strong!
Travel
& Relocation
Rain or shine, you'll come through fine.
Other
A short list of other areas where desiccants can be an indispensable
benefit.
Electronics
Electronic devices depend on complex electrical interactions in
their circuitry in order to function. Furthermore, most of these
devices are not made to be waterproof, allowing moisture or water
vapor to seep in through the cracks and contact the internal workings.
While the effects may not be as dramatic as a sparking short circuit,
electronic arrays and moisture DO NOT MIX! In the first place simple
corrosion of components such as copper circuitry can occur, and
beyond that moisture present in the pathways can allow for electric
signals to reroute in ways that were not ever meant to happen. Functionality
of the device thus becomes impaired in subtle ways.
Perhaps that time set button on your alarm clock doesn't work quite
as well as it used to, or perhaps the LED readout has a funny tick
in it that occasionally creates ghost digits. While the problem
might have other roots, people who know desiccants know that one
of the first things to try when a device starts acting up is to
"dry it out" by packing it in desiccant in a sealed container overnight.
IMPAK has documented several instances where an apparently malfunctioning
item like a portable video camera, which had no other explanation
for its loss of operation, emerged from this treatment and worked
again, good as new!
As mentioned elsewhere on the site, the chip manufacturing giant
Intel has very strict guidelines regarding keeping its microchips
dry and protected in transit and storage. Intel knows how moisture
can adversely affect the operation of the chips; however, once out
on the market the average consumer is more likely than not unaware
that vapor entering the unsecured case of their PC might be contributing
to long-term reliability problems.
The same goes for any of the myriad other devices becoming so necessary
to modern life, especially the small portables such as pagers and
cellular phones that are at once some of the most complex and most
vulnerable to environmental effects of any devices. Compared to
the cost of replacing these items, desiccants are a convenient and
cheap alternative.
Food
Let's face it: everyone has to eat. Eating is not usually a problem
for most Americans, but there might come a time where a store of
grains and other foodstuffs will prove a priceless commodity to
you and your family. Whether a disaster comes in the form of a flood,
fire, hurricane, earthquake, or revolution, existing infrastructures
are going to collapse at least temporarily.
Most families have preparedness kits in the event of the natural
crises most prevalent in their areas, including flashlights and
water... and why not food as well? Many do, and many more should.
The staples of food most suited to long-term storage are dried ones...
grains, legumes, and dehydrated meats, fruits and vegetables. Not
to mention seeds for the planting or replanting of crops.
As you can guess, this entire store will be worthless if it gets
wet... mold in particular loves damp, dark conditions. You can't
really avoid the darkness in your storage place, but desiccants
can stave off the damp and make sure your ace in the hole doesn't
turn up a deuce when it counts.
Ironically, the very gas that gives us life, oxygen, is another
threat to the longevity of stored foods!
Shipping
For hundreds of years sailing vessels have been a principal source
of trade in the world, and the 20th Century has been no exception.
Massive amounts of cargo move between ports, jostled and thumped
in largely wooden crates and spending days or even months on the
high seas, possibly facing one or more storms along the way. Does
it even need to be pointed out what a damp environment this is?
Anyone shipping their products overseas or even on lakes should
be taking a long, hard look at desiccants if they are not being
included already. If a portion of your cargo is being lost to ruin
caused by damp conditions, desiccants can only save you money!
Sailing
In much the same way as cargo shipments, recreational sailors would
do well to have desiccants on board. Salt water is about as corrosive
as you can get, and most skippers today make use of very sensitive
instruments including the all important Global Positioning System
receivers! The last thing you need is your navigation fritzing out
on you at a bad time due to dampness.
In fact, just about anything you store aboard your boat, electronics
or not, should be kept as dry as possible. Many pleasure boats stay
docked a good deal of time, making it a relatively easy proposition
to pack things up with some adsorbent to keep away the salt air.
Tools
Whether the latest powered drill or a simple wood and metal hammer,
tools are another item that often spends long periods in storage
and are often stored in a less than secure space such as a garage
or shed. Besides the already covered effects on electrical tools,
moisture more simply just rusts metal and rots wood.
To extend the useful life of your tools, get some enclosed storage
for them, and get some desiccant to keep them dry!
Travel & Relocation
You're moving the household to another state, or maybe you're just
a businessperson taking your laptop with you to Taiwan. Whenever
travel is involved you have two possible danger areas, the transit
itself and your eventual destination.
Are you moving to or through a damper environment than usual? Desiccants
are in high demand by people like wildlife photographers who have
to tote their high tech cameras through jungles and forests... they
know very well what that humid air might do to their livelihood.
If you're actually relocating desiccants can become even more crucial,
with the likelihood of irreplaceable heirlooms, documents and photographs
being present, some of them already old and fragile.
Why take the chance of moisture damage? Stick in some desiccant
and good barrier materials, and buy some peace of mind.
Other Applications
Only a fraction of the many applications for desiccant use are
covered on this page. A short list of other items desiccants benefit
are:
Laboratory equipment and hygroscopic chemicals
Shoes and other leather articles
Books and rare manuscripts
Photo slides and film
Hearing aids
Guns, gun accessories, and fishing tackle
Stamps
Surgical and dental instruments
Pharmaceuticals
Clothing and fabrics
Scientific instruments
Museum and historical artifacts
Paintings and valuable art objects
Athletic equipment |
