Desiccant Recharging

 

Results

Test 1: 25g CaCl2 2 week use as desiccant

Test 2: 15g CaCl2 2 week use as desiccant

Test 3: 25g CaCl2 1 week use as desiccant

Test 4: 15g CaCl2 1 week use as desiccant

Refocus

There are pros and cons to all desiccants.

Calcium chloride is a great desiccant, so much so that it will eventually absorb so much moisture that it just liquefies into a solution (CaCl2(H2O)). If one were to heat this solution to drive off all the water, they would get hydrochloric acid as a gas and a block of calcium oxide. Calcium oxide is also a desiccant but not commonly used as such.

Silica gel pellets are very common as a desiccant and that is because, even though it is more expensive than CaCl2, silica gel does not turn into a solution with water and it is easier to dehydrate.

Further research will be done on this same set up but with silica gel pellets and calcium sulfate.

Test: 25g Silica Gel Beads

Test: 25g SaSO4

In conclusion, in terms of reusable desiccants it is between silica gel and SaSO4, silica gel can be dehydrated using solar energy and our small diode oven well SaSO4 can be dehydrated by simply setting it in a cook fire.

More research can be done as to how many times these desiccants can be re-used, if they are as effective after being dehydrated, and cost-benefit analysis as to if the desiccants that are able to be dehydrated are worth the initial investments.