/oss/taxonomy/term/2850/all en /oss/article/medical-you-asked/what-happens-when-you-eat-silica-gel <p>Can you think of the last time you saw a silica gel packet? It’s the sort of thing that you come across often but never think about. Did you open a package of beef jerky at lunch? Unbox some new shoes? Take an Advil in the morning? These are all places you might’ve seen these unmistakable little packets.</p> Fri, 31 Mar 2023 16:16:24 +0000 Cat Wang, B.Sc. 9460 at /oss /oss/article/did-you-know/those-silica-gel-packs-you-toss-out-are-filled-deliquescent-chemicals <p><span>When you buy a new pair of shoes or stereo you probably encounter, and subsequently toss out, lots of little packets bearing the warning ‘Do Not Eat’ filled with silica gel. Did you know though, that those packs are filled with deliquescent chemicals? </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hygroscopy#Deliquescence">Deliquescent materials</a><span> are those that absorb moisture from the air, to the point that, if allowed, they will absorb water until they are dissolved in solution.</span></p> Tue, 21 Nov 2017 17:45:44 +0000 Ada McVean B.Sc. 6827 at /oss