Instrument

Silica gel sizing calculator

Quickly estimate how much silica gel you need to protect enclosed goods. The result is a guideline — for exact sizing, the ChimGrup technical team confirms the values.

Application parameters

Interior volume of the packaging, box, crate or sealed enclosure.
The barrier determines how much moisture penetrates over time. Aluminium foil protects best.
How long the goods are stored or in transit.
The more humid the environment, the more desiccant is needed.
The number of units starts from the standard recommendation for each container size.
Long voyages involve more temperature cycles and more "container rain".
Large temperature differences along the route increase condensation risk.
Hygroscopic goods release their own moisture and need a larger dose.
Estimated silica gel required

— g

— desiccant units (DIN 55473)

Moisture to capture (estimate)— g
Packaging surface— m²
Confirm with the technical team →

How the calculation works

The tool estimates the amount of silica gel based on two moisture sources the desiccant must hold: the moisture in the trapped air inside the packaging and the moisture that penetrates over time through the packaging material. The result is expressed in desiccant "units" per DIN 55473 (one unit adsorbs about 6 g of water at 40% relative humidity) and converted into grams of silica gel.

Aer închisConținutul de apă din aerul din ambalaj, în funcție de volum și umiditatea mediului.
Pătrundere în timpUmiditatea care traversează ambalajul, în funcție de bariera materialului, suprafață și durată.
Unitate DIN 55473≈ 6 g capacitate de adsorbție; ≈ 33 g de silicagel per unitate.
Marjă de siguranțăSe aplică o rezervă pentru variații; mărfurile higroscopice adaugă o marjă suplimentară.
Estimare orientativă. Acest calcul oferă un punct de plecare, nu o specificație finală. Dimensionarea exactă depinde de etanșeitatea reală a ambalajului, de proprietățile mărfii și de condițiile specifice de transport. Pentru o recomandare validată, contactează departamentul tehnic ChimGrup.

Shipping container mode

For containers, the calculation starts from the industry-standard recommendation per container size (a 20 ft container typically needs 8–10 units, a 40 ft one around 16–20), then adjusts for voyage duration, climatic severity of the route and cargo type. Long voyages and crossings between different climates increase the risk of "container rain" (condensation formed by temperature swings), while hygroscopic goods such as wood, coffee or textiles release their own moisture and need a larger dose.

For very long voyages or extremely sensitive goods, the optimal solution often combines silica gel inside individual packages with high-capacity desiccant in the container space — the technical team can guide you.