Silica Gel
Environment buffering material
Silica gel is used in museums to stabilize relative humidity (RH) in sealed exhibit cases.SmallCorp silica is a type A Beaded Gel with an equilibrium moisture content of 30% and an M Value of 6.8 at 50% RH. It absorbs and desorbs moisture to provide a buffer against changes in external relative humidity. This type of gel is especially well-suited for humidity ranges typical of most humidity-sensitive artifacts.
Our online silica gel calculator will help determine your gel requirements, and we offer silica gel conditioning systems if you’d like to re-condition silica gel yourself.
Bulk Silica Gel
We offer silica gel by the pound – dry or preconditioned in 5% increments to meet the needs of your object. (5lb minimum for each different RH. All weights are calculated on a dry basis).
SmallCorp bulk silica gel ships in re-sealable archival containers. Purchasing bulk-conditioned gel is a simple and affordable way to refresh our refillable silica gel cartridges or for large cases with open gel trays.
Silica Gel Cartridges
Our standard silica gel cartridge is 4” x 10” x 1”, with HDPE perimeter and breathable polyester nonwoven fabric on both sides. Cartridges come filled with 400g of gel (all weights calculated on a dry basis), conditioned to your specifications, or dry. Because the cartridges breathe through both sides, standing them on edge will maximize air exposure. You can refill and re-use these cartridges with SmallCorp silica gel or other media. Cartridges ship in re-sealable archival bags, so they will maintain their RH while in storage.
Silica Gel Pouches
Our silica gel pouches use a breathable polypropylene fabric to maximize air exposure. Because you can shape the pouch like a beanbag, it’s easy to fit in irregular spaces. Each pouch measures 8” x 4-1/2” x 1/2” and comes filled with 250g of gel (all weights calculated on a dry basis), conditioned to your specifications, or dry. Pouches ship in re-sealable archival bags, so they will maintain their RH while in storage.
