Silica Gel Desiccant Regeneration

[T3PRanch]

Came across a quick and easy way to regenerate silica gel desiccant like used in the Altaros Booster.
Simply pour the desiccant out on a paper plate and microwave it on the defrost setting for 4 minutes
If the color has not changed back then repeat. 10 minutes should be the maximum required for any microwave.

Thurmond

 

[Brian10956]

For years I’ve used silica gel in an Ozone generator to dry the incoming air under low pressure. I never tried the microwave . I would put it in a thin layer on a cookie sheet into a 150 degree oven until it turned from white back to pink. Usually no more than 30 minutes.

 

[T3PRanch]

My wife frowns on use of the oven and I have an old microwave that can be used outside the kitchen so everyone is happy. However the desiccant canister for my safe is metal thus necessitating the use of the standard oven even over the protest of my significant other which is why I usually do it when she is not home.

Thurmond

 

[Brian10956]

In a pinch I have put them in a cardboard box with a round hole cut in the side where I put an old hair dryer set on low closed the box and they were dry in 10 minutes. I had set it up on a Weber grill as I was worried that the dryer would set it on fire. No problems set on low heat. If I used my heat gun it would of gone up in smoke.

 

[Chachoze]

Well if your using silica beads like Altaros you should be careful about using a microwave to regenerate.

The following excerpt is taken from the Altaros maintenance guide...take it for what its worth.

" Regeneration of the old filling is done in the following manner: the filling has to be heated on a glass tray to temperature of 100-120 °C. You have to keep this temperature until the colour of the filling turns back to bright orange. Never perform the filling regeneration in a microwave oven! Doing so will cause damage to the filling and subsequently also damage the compressor booster. "

 

[T3PRanch]

I am using e-bay sourced orange silica gel beads that instruct to use a microwave or oven.

Thurmond