Packaging Resource Center: The Latest in Desiccants

Self-Adhesive Moisture Adsorber

A self-adhesive moisture adsorber features a thin, compact design. It requires little space and can be incorporated into packaging in either free-floating or adhesive-backed form. The DesiMax desiccant is dust free and designed to be a solution to low-level humidity-related problems. DesiMax desiccants can easily be applied using conventional labeling equipment. They can be custom printed with company graphics, promotional copy—as a coupon, for example—or with instructions. Typical applications include cap liners, foil pouch packaging, diagnostic kit packaging, and transdermal technology packaging. The product is made to eliminate desiccant commingling with products. The desiccant material is enclosed between a top sheet that can be printed on and a carrier film of polyethylene or polystyrene. The adhesive is on the carrier film. Multisorb Technologies Inc., Buffalo, NY; 716/ 824-8900; www.multisorb.com.

Custom Desiccating Polymers

A company offers plastic materials that absorb and/or release small molecules at a controlled rate. The transport properties of a polymer made by the company can be engineered to exhibit specific transmission rates. The company’s Controlled Interactive Packaging can maintain a relative humidity; absorb moisture, oxygen, odors, gases, and aldehydes; and control the release of vapors and gases. The majority of the material is composed of a polymer such as thermoplastic or thermoset. It also contains a minor polymer such as a hydrophilic or hydrophobic material that is immiscible in the majority polymer and a particle (active agent) that resides in the minor polymer. The interconnecting pathways in the material permit gases or vapors to be absorbed into or released from the particles located within the polymer blend. More than one interactive function can be incorporated into a polymer blend. The material can be processed into film, blow molded into bottles, or injection molded into any shape. CSP Technologies Inc., Auburn, AL; 334/ 887-8300; www.csptechnologies.com.

Acid-Free Desiccant

An acid-free desiccant absorbs water by means of capillary condensation in diatomaceous micropores, rather than with an Si-OH bond formation found in silical gel. EverDri uses a one-way bag designed to allow moisture to penetrate to the inside without allowing water to escape back out. EverDri is designed to be more durable than conventional paper or polyethylene bags that allow moisture to reestablish when the ambient temperature rises. The bag is dust free. It is available in a wide range of sizes. EverFresh USA, Placentia, CA; 714/579-0050; www.everfreshusa.com.

Desiccant Washers and Inserts

A company offers a line of desiccant washers and inserts as an alternative to loose desiccants within product packaging. The inserts are small components filled with desiccant designed to snap into the screw-on caps of bottles, including caps with tamper-evident and child-resistant features. They are designed to fit tightly within container caps to eliminate potential customer confusion leading to accidental ingestion of the desiccant. The washers are small, removable components designed to rest in the neck of a bottle. The removable washers were designed with powdered pharmaceutical products, which may require moisture protection only until being reconstituted by the end-user. In such a case, the desiccant washer would be removed, water added to the bottle, the original closure replaced, and the product mixed. These products are also designed to maximize package space and reduce desiccant insertion costs. The standard desiccant fill is activated silica gel, but other desiccant fills are available. Süd-Chemie Inc., Belen, NM; 505/864-6691; www.s-cpp.com.