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. 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 approximately 1lb of gel, 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 approximately .5lbs of gel, conditioned to your specifications, or dry. Pouches ship in re-sealable archival bags, so they will maintain their RH while in storage.
