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A desiccant is a hygroscopic substance that is used to induce or sustain a state of dryness (desiccation) in its vicinity; it is the opposite of a humectant. Commonly encountered pre-packaged desiccants are solids that absorb water .
Desiccation is widely employed in the oil and gas industry. These materials are obtained in a hydrated state, but the water content leads to corrosion or is incompatible with downstream processing. Removal of water is achieved by cryogenic condensation, absorption into glycols, and absorption onto desiccants such as silica gel. [1]
List of desiccants: [1] Activated alumina; Aerogel; Benzophenone (as anion) Bentonite clay; Calcium chloride; Calcium hydride; Calcium oxide; Calcium sulfate (Drierite) Cobalt(II) chloride; Copper(II) sulfate; Lithium chloride; Lithium bromide; Magnesium chloride hexahydrate; Magnesium sulfate; Magnesium perchlorate; Molecular sieve; Phosphorus ...
The lower compartment of the desiccator contains lumps of silica gel, freshly calcined quicklime, Drierite, molecular sieves, phosphorus pentoxide, (not as effective) anhydrous calcium chloride, or other desiccant to absorb water vapor. The substance needing desiccation is put in the upper compartment, usually on a glazed, perforated ceramic plate.
Silica gel's high specific surface area—around 750–800 m 2 /g (230,000–240,000 sq ft/oz) [6] —allows it to adsorb water readily, making it useful as a desiccant (drying agent). Silica gel is often described as "absorbing" moisture, which may be appropriate when the gel's microscopic structure is ignored, as in silica gel packs or other ...
Another important use is as a desiccant. They are often utilized in the petrochemical industry for drying gas streams. For example, in the liquid natural gas (LNG) industry, the water content of the gas needs to be reduced to less than 1 ppmv to prevent blockages caused by ice or methane clathrate.