Desiccant Selection Guide

Desiccant Selection Guide

Drying Agent	Product Number	Size	Suitable for Drying	Not Suitable for Drying	Residual Water mg H₂O/L Dried Air	g H₂O/g Desiccant	Regeneration	Reaction Mechanism
Aluminum Oxide	0536-01 0536-05	5OOg 2.5 kg	Hydrocarbons, air, ammonia, argon, helium, nitrogen, oxygen, Freon, H₂O, CO₂, SO₂		0.003	0.2	175ºC	Chemisorption Adsorption
ANHYDRONE® (Magnesium Perchlorate anhydrous)	0828-01	500 g	Inert gas, air	** Most Organics	0.001	0.2	250ºC with Vacuum	Hydration
Barium Oxide	B656-04	125 g	Organic bases, alcohols, aldehydes, amines	Acidic Compounds, CO₂	0.00065	0.1	Not Recommended	Absorption and Adsorption
Boric Anhydride	1176-01 1176-05	500 g 2.5 kg	Formic Acid			0.8	450ºC
Calcium Chloride (20 Mesh)	1311-01 1311-05	500 g 2.5 kg	Alkyl and Aryl Halides, most esters, saturated and aromatic hydrocarbons, ethers	Alcohols, amines, phenols, aldehydes, amides, amino acids, some esters, ketones	0.14-0.25	0.2 (1H₂O) 0.3 (2H₂O)	250ºC	Hydration
Calcium Chloride (4-8 Mesh)	1313-01 1313-05	500 g 2.5 kg	Alkyl and Aryl Halides, most esters, saturated and aromatic hydrocarbons, ethers	Alcohols, amines, phenols, aldehydes, amides, amino acids, some esters, ketones	0.14-0.25	0.2 (1H₂O) 0.3 (2H₂O)	250ºC	Hydration
Calcium Oxide	1410-01 1410-05	500 g 2.5 kg	Alcohols, amines and ammonia gas	Acidic compounds, esters	0.007	0.3	1000ºC	Chemisorption
Calcium Sulfate	1458-01	500 g	Most organic compounds		0.005	0.066	235ºC	Absorption
Cupric Sulfate	1850-01 1850-05	500 g 2.5 kg	Esters, alcohols (excellent for benzene and toluene)		1.4	0.6	200ºC
DRIERITE, Regular	L056-07 L056-02	454 g 2.3 kg	Air, industrial gases, refrigerants, organic liquids and solids.		0.005	0.066	210ºC for 1 hour	Hydration
DRIERITE, Indicating (4 Mesh) (8 Mesh) (10-20 Mesh)	L057-07 L057-02 L058-07 L058-02 L059-07	454 g 2.3 kg 454 g 2.3 kg 454 g	Air, industrial gases, refrigerants, organic liquids and solids.		0.005	0.066	210ºC for 1 hour	Hydration
Lithium Aluminum Hydride	P403-05	100 g	Aldehydes, ketones, esters, carboxylic acids, peroxides, acid anhydrides, acid chlorides, ethers	Acid and its derivatives, aromatic nitro compounds
Magnesium Oxide	2476-01	500 g	Hydrocarbons, aldehydes, alcohols, basic gases, amines	Acidic compounds	0.008	0.5	800ºC	Hydration
Magnesium Sulfate	2506-01 2506-05	500 G 2.5 kg	Most compounds, incl. Acids, ketones, aldehydes, esters, nitriles	Acid sensitive compounds	1.0	0.2 0.8	200ºC and red heat	Hydration
Molecular Sieve Activated Type 3A 8-12 Mesh	2710-01 2710-05	500 g 2.5 kg	Molecules of diameter >3 angstroms	Molecules of diameter <3 angstroms		0.18	117-260ºC	Adsorption
Molecular Sieve Activated 8-12 Mesh Indicating Type 4A	2707-01 2708-01 2708-05	500 g 500 g 2.5 kg	Molecules of diameter >4 angstroms	Molecules of diameter <4 angstroms, Ethanol, H₂S, CO₂, SO₂, C₂H₄, C₃H₄, and strong acids	0.001	0.18	250ºC	Adsorption
Molecular Sieve Activated (8-12 Mesh) Type 5A	2709-01 2709-05	500g 2.5 kg	Molecules of diameter > 5 angstroms, e.g., branched chain compounds and those having 4 carbon or larger rings	Molecules of diameter <5 angstroms, e.g., butanol, n-C₄H₁₀ to n-C₂₂H₄₆	0.003	0.18	250ºC	Adsorption
Phosphoric Acid	0260-01 0260-03	500ml 2.5 L			0.003		Not recommended	Absorption and Solution
Phosphorous Pentoxide	2155-01	500 g	Saturated hydrocarbons, aromatic hydrocarbons, ethers, alkyl halides, aryl halides, nitriles, anhydrides, nitrites, esters	Alcohols, acids, amines, ketones, HF and HCl vapors	3x10^-5	0.5	No	Chemisorption leading to H₃PO₄
Potassium Carbonate	3012-01 3012-05	500 g 2.5 kg	Alcohols, nitriles, ketones, esters, amines	Acids, phenols		0.2	300º C	Hydrate Formation
Potassium Hydroxide	3140-01 3140-05 3140-07	500 g 2.5 kg 12 kg	Amines, organic bases	Acids, phenols, esters, amides, acidic gases, aldehydes	0.3	Indeterminate	No	Hydration and Solution Formation
Silica Gel Indicating 6-16 Mesh	3401-01 3401-05	500 g 2.5 kg	Most organics	HF vapors	0.03	0.2	200-350ºC	Adsorption
Sodium	9410-04 9410-01	113 g 454 g	Saturated and aromatic hydrocarbons, ethers	Acids, alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, amines, esters, organic halides, and any substance with high water content			Not Recommended	Leads to NaOH + H₂
Sodium Hydroxide Pellets	3722-01 3722-05 3722-07	500 g 2.5 g 12 kg	Amines	Acids, phenols, esters, amides	0.16	Indefinite	Not Recommended	Absorption and Solution Formation
Sodium Sulfate Anhydrous Granular Powder	3891-01 3891-05 3891-07	500 g 2.5 kg 12 kg	Alkyl halides, aryl halides, aldehydes, ketones, acids		12	1.2	150ºC	Hydration
Sodium Sulfate Anhydrous Powder	3898-01 3898-05 3898-07	500 g 2.5 kg 12 kg	Alkyl halides, aryl halides, aldehydes, ketones, acids		12	1.2	150ºC	Hydration
Sodium Sulfate Anhydrous Granular (12-60 mesh)	3375-01 3375-05 3375-07	500 g 2.5 kg 12 kg	Alkyl halides, aryl halides, aldehydes, ketones, acids		12	1.2	150ºC	Hydration
Sulfuric Acid	9681-01 9681-03	500ml 2.5 L	Inert gases, HCl, Cl₂, CO, SO₂, air used in desiccators	Too reactive to actually contact organic materials	0.003	Indefinite	No	Hydration
Zinc Chloride Reagent, Broken Lump	4321-01 4321-05 4321-07	500 g 2.5 kg 12 kg	Hydrocarbons	Ammonia, amines, alcohol	0.9	0.2	110ºC	Hydration

** May form explosive compound when exposed to organic vapors.

ANHYDRONE® is a registered trademark of Mallinckrodt Baker Inc.

Lit #3045