Absolutely correct, Silica gel is form of silicon dioxide, SiO2, the
material that occurs in nature as sand. The difference between silica
gel and sand is that sand is a crystalline, non-porous form, whereas
silica gel is non-crystalline and highly porous. You dry out Silica Gel
by heating it in a dry environment to about 110 deg C for a couple of
hours. The stuff melts at over 1600 deg C.

'Molecular sieves' are even more efficient dessicant, but they need
several hundred degrees to purge moisture, so are less easy to use.

Peter Moreton



-----Original Message-----
From: pic microcontroller discussion list
[mailto:PICLIST@MITVMA.MIT.EDU] On Behalf Of William Chops Westfield
Sent: 03 December 2003 08:08
To: PICLIST@MITVMA.MIT.EDU
Subject: Re: [PIC]: Commonly available conformal coating substitutes
(Polyurethane Varnish?)

On Tuesday, Dec 2, 2003, at 14:14 US/Pacific, Jim Monteith wrote:

>  With silica gel, you will want to be gentle about cooking
> it.  It will burn and it may give off stuff you don't want in your
> oven.
>
i don't think so.  Unless it was recently absorbing something nasty.
silica gel is silica.  Glass.  Quartz.  It doesn't burn...

BillW

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