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Posted by Hooke 4/1/2025

How Silica Gel Took Over the World(www.scopeofwork.net)
231 points | 174 commentspage 3
THE_FORT 4/2/2025|
This was fantastically well written. Big thank you to the author and the poster!
amelius 4/2/2025||
Silica is great for removing humidity from air. But what I want is to remove oxygen from air, so my food stays fresh longer. Any clean and easy to use substance/method for that purpose?
Luc 4/2/2025||
Oxygen absorbers. Little paper packets of iron powder.
pumnikol 4/2/2025|||
Yeah don't. Like many metals, finely dispersed iron can self-combust on air. I'd suggest an air-tight packaging filled with CO2, or, if your food is susceptible to acid, N2, if at all feasible. Industry uses additives similar to hydroquinone, mixed directly into, e.g., plastics. Plenty of them are food-safe, but I wouldn't know where to buy them if you aren't a business.
Luc 4/2/2025||
You leave the iron powder in the packets. No need to disperse it, and certainly not in the air.
dawnerd 4/2/2025|||
I think a lot of us might even confuse the two. The packets look fairly similar too.
chneu 4/2/2025|||
Radiolab did an amazing episode on food freshness. They talk about plastic produce packaging, which is a bit of a modern marvel.

https://radiolab.org/podcast/forever-fresh

Tldr: those plastic bags that salads come in are WAY more interesting than you think. They're selectively permeable membranes that only allow certain gasses in/out.

iglio 4/2/2025||
Vacuum
krunck 4/1/2025||
Lets not forget the MST3k silica gel skit in: https://mst3k.fandom.com/wiki/MST3K_1103_-_The_Time_Traveler...

https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x8hb1jh @ 00:02:00

ge96 4/1/2025||
The word desicant is burned into my mind from this guy talking about building some AC system
psyclobe 4/3/2025||
Yea but what happens if you eat it???
curtisszmania 4/2/2025|
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