Best Desiccant ?

[Mr.Gadgets]

What is the better desiccant to use in an air dryer to capture moisture? Molecular Sieve or Silica Gel and what size ?
I’ve seen where people talked about ”color changing “, but I believe that only is silica gel, I think.

 

[Gerry52]

I have hearing aids. With them came a jar of dessicant balls (beads for drying)with blue balls interspersed (I can imagine all the lewd thoughts going through your warped little minds ). They were on hand so I tried em. Work GREAT.
(The blue beads/balls lose color when saturated)

 

[rc4fun]

I've used 'dry & dry' silica and 13X MOLECULAR SIEVE half and half with the indicator silica on the bottom separated by a fiber disc. I change both when the color in the silica stack changes color about 1/2 way (20 hours of compressor time at my location). Nope I don't dry it not worth my time +effort, just toss it and add new. I use a condolessing stage before the stage with the desiccant.

 

[rodm1]

Do you bake it in a oven to reactivate? I see some you must bake to 1000f.

 

[Gerry52]

Do you bake it in a oven to reactivate? I see some you must bake to 1000f.

With the dessicant I use you can dry them in the sun or oven & the blue indicators turn blue again when everything is dry

 

[beerthief]

Do you bake it in a oven to reactivate? I see some you must bake to 1000f.

think you have one to many 0 ? i microwave them one minute on high ,repeat as necessary.

 

[AlanMcD]

Most of the silica beads will regenerate well at under 200 degrees Farenheight, but the molecular sieve beads do need higher temps than most of us can hit in home ovens - some even over 1000 degrees. If using molecular sieve, plan on replacing it rather than regenerating it . . . .

 

[Bullpupone]

Folks, I am still setting up the drying aspect of HPA off of my compressor. However my plan is still not finalized I have a centrifugal condenser as a 1st stage, but want to add a drying filter between it and my Daystate rifle. Whichever I actually choose silica beads or molecular sieve beads or even a mix of both as has been suggested here, what device do you run your beads through? A tuxing gold filter or some other device that is safe for high pressure air and possibly clear to see the color change?
BP-1

 

[Mr.Gadgets]

Folks, I am still setting up the drying aspect of HPA off of my compressor. However my plan is still not finalized I have a centrifugal condenser as a 1st stage, but want to add a drying filter between it and my Daystate rifle. Whichever I actually choose silica beads or molecular sieve beads or even a mix of both as has been suggested here, what device do you run your beads through? A tuxing gold filter or some other device that is safe for high pressure air and possibly clear to see the color change?
BP-1

I think my thread was just hijacked ? LOL

 

[jarmstrong]

my Coltri came with Molecular Sieve

 

[Bullpupone]

I think my thread was just hijacked ? LOL

Apologies sir, I just wanted to take the good information that I could gleam from your question and build on it

 

[SilentSquirrel]

With the dessicant I use you can dry them in the sun or oven & the blue indicators turn blue again when everything is dry

Which brand do you use, @Gerry52?

 

[Gerry52]

This is the one I had on hand

 

[rodm1]

This is the one I had on hand
View attachment 380272

What would you say the crystal size is? I'm wondering if crystal cat litter would work you can bake that at 250f for 3 hour to recharge crystal size is like under 1/8". Maybe mix in some blue balls for saturation level check.

https://c.shld.net/rpx/i/s/i/spin/10115802/prod_2041236712??hei=64&wid=64&qlt=50

 

[shotmaniac]

my Coltri came with Molecular Sieve

those use 4A sieve right? same as the tuxing dual stage $200 filter i think

I'm actually researching it cause there's a risk of trapping nitrogen and concentrating oxygen which under pressure could be dangerous

OP from what i read the sieve can trap moisture faster and is more resistant to HPA than silica

i also ordered a $30 filter casing that I'm going to pack with sieve(4A and 13x)

as for drying temps being high I'd just use a convection oven or air fryer the forced air circulation should work

 

[Humdinger]

The OP asked "what is the best desiccant"? The answer depends on the application. Silica gel beads turn different colors after they are saturated. They work best at atmospheric and low pressure applications. They are often used in a filter placed between a first stage shop compressor to a Shoebox or Altaros booster compressor. Silica beads are sometimes used as saturation indicator beads in a high pressure filter. They should not be used in a high pressure compressor filter as a desiccant sieve substitute. Dessicant sieve adsorbs (sic) moisture efficiently at high pressure whereas silica gel absorbs moisture at any pressure. Most replacement filters for high pressure compressors use colored indicator strips instead of silica gel beads to show the level of moisture saturation in the filter media.

 

[stephenst4470]

I wonder if you could reactivate molecular sieve with a torch...

 

[Humdinger]

I wonder if you could reactivate molecular sieve with a torch...

NO. A torch would ruin the desiccant. It's the equivalent of burning down a barn to kill the rats. Sieve desiccants actually work under high pressure to collect water vapor by molecular attraction. It takes hours of 1000 degree indirect heat in a purpose-built oven to reverse the adhesion process and allow the desiccant sieve to release the water molecules which bond to the sieve under pressure. Direct contact with a torch flame would tun the sieve to burn ash. Sieve is usually replaced after it's saturated rather than recharged. Most high-end compressors use disposable filter cartridges containing desiccant sieve and activated charcoal.

 

[rcs9250]

What would you say the crystal size is? I'm wondering if crystal cat litter would work you can bake that at 250f for 3 hour to recharge crystal size is like under 1/8". Maybe mix in some blue balls for saturation level check.

https://c.shld.net/rpx/i/s/i/spin/10115802/prod_2041236712??hei=64&wid=64&qlt=50

The nice thing about molecular sieve is they are, for all practical purposes, round balls. And for all practical purposes dust free.
Kitty litter typical is a clay type product and its associated dust. I suppose it would absorb moisture but be sure to have filtration that is finer than the dust. Dust from kitty litter is abrasive.

 

[stephenst4470]

The nice thing about molecular sieve is they are, for all practical purposes, round balls. And for all practical purposes dust free.
Kitty litter typical is a clay type product and its associated dust. I suppose it would absorb moisture but be sure to have filtration that is finer than the dust. Dust from kitty litter is abrasive.

He is referring to the silica crystal based cat litter...