Why Shipping Container Desiccants Are Important When Transporting Goods?

When shipping your precious goods over long distances, they go through varied weather conditions, levels of moisture, oxygen, sunlight, etc. and thus are exposed to different levels of moisture in the container setting or the surroundings. To maintain and keep the high quality of your goods during long durations of transport, it is very much essential that you use good quality cargo and shipping container desiccants so that they help adsorb any excess moisture from the surrounding air to keep them clean and dry.

The problem of moisture in shipping, cargo containers

When shipping goods, moisture is a big problem, and this occurs as the shipping cargo goes through different weather or sea conditions which create a humid environment inside the cargo. This can greatly damage your goods, especially sensitive and perishable items, as they are prone to damage and spoilage due to excess moisture levels. For example, electronics can short-circuit, food can spoil or grow mold, and clothes can become smelly or dirty.

Excess moisture can lead to container rain and damage the packaging of the products or goods that are stored in, and also seep inside the packaging leading to spoilage or damage, making it unfit for use or consumption.

Various microorganisms, mold, and mildew also grow and flourish in these damp and wet environments and thus can damage the goods like food, electronics, leather, dried agricultural products, medical or industrial equipment, chemical products, and even potent pharmaceutical products.

This irreversible damage or spoilage of the goods can lead to a lot of wastage, and also loss of companies, that is why it is very important to use shipping container desiccants and why they are necessary when transporting goods over long transit durations, storage, or packaging.

Tips on how to effectively use desiccants in shipping containers

So now that we know how important and essential cargo desiccants are to protect your goods during transportation, let us understand how you can effectively use them in your container along with your goods.

• You need to understand and know the amount of desiccant that you will need for your shipping container. You can follow this simple rule, for every 100 square feet in a container, you can use 1 to 1.5 pounds of desiccant, and for a 20-foot container, you will need 12 to 18 pounds of good quality container desiccant.
• To make sure the desiccant is effective for use in the container, you can place them and spread them out evenly throughout the container, and place them, especially in corners or areas where moisture is likely to gather or create container rain.
• There are different desiccants that absorb moisture at different rates. For example, calcium chloride can absorb a lot more moisture than silica gel, so it is important to pick the one that best suits your cargo needs based on the type of goods and the weather conditions.
• If you know your shipment and transporting goods will go through humid areas, it is always best to consider using extra desiccants, as more moisture in the air means you need more desiccants to keep your goods safe and dry.
• Before putting items in your container, ensure it's clean and dry, you can also try and let it air out slightly to lower its initial humidity. A tightly sealed container can better prevent moisture from entering and allow your desiccants to work more effectively once placed and used.

Why shipping container desiccants should be used in cargo?

Shipping or cargo desiccants have a very high adsorption capacity and can adsorb up to 300% of their weight in moisture, which is why they are the ideal solution for the control of moisture in a cargo setting. They are available in different sizes so they can be placed inside the packaging, in the sipping containers, or also on the container walls for container rain prevention or other damage causing issues.

Since the desiccants are made from high quality and safe grade USFDA materials like calcium chloride, clay, or silica gel, they are non-toxic and inert in nature, so they do not react or damage the goods or products they are stored with, and effectively protect the goods from moisture, contamination, dust, heat, oxygen, microorganisms, and humidity inside the cargo.

It is always a good idea to choose high quality desiccant materials and bags for your cargo as it can protect your goods from damage or spoilage. You can reach out to Sorbchem India, as we are the largest supplier and manufacturer of premium quality desiccant products.