Project report for Silica Gel

The packaging industry in India is growing rapidly, as almost all small and big enterprises are largely focusing on their logistics. Also, some sectors such as food, pharmaceuticals, electronics, etc., are putting higher impetus on ensuring the safety of their products. In order to protect their products from moisture, they use silica gel as a desiccant. Additionally, apart from pharmaceuticals and food, the electronics industry can also be considered as an emerging market for silica gel. Growth of biotechnology in India is expected to increase silica gel demand over the forecast period. Within the pharmaceutical industry, silica gel column chromatography is helpful in collecting or segregating different components of a drug. 

Silica gel is an amorphous and porous form of silicon dioxide, consisting of an irregular tridimensional framework of alternating silicon and oxygen atoms with nanometer-scale voids and pores. The voids may contain water or some other liquids, or may be filled by gas or vacuum. In the last case, the material is properly called silica xerogel. Silica xerogel with an average pore size of 2.4 nanometers has a strong affinity for water molecules and is widely used as a desiccant. It is hard and translucent, but considerably softer than massive silica glass or quartz; and remains hard when saturated with water. Silica xerogel is usually commercialized as coarse granules or beads, a few millimeters in diameter. Some grains may contain small amounts of indicator substance that changes color when they have absorbed some water. Small paper envelopes containing silica xerogel pellets, usually with a "do not eat" warning, are often included in dry food packages to absorb any humidity that might cause spoilage of the food.

The global silica gel market is expected to witness growth in light of its increasing application in food & beverage, pharmaceutical, paints & coatings, plastics, and inks & printing industries. It is capable of adsorbing water vapor and is chemically inert & non-toxic which paves its way for use in the aforementioned applications. Increasing consumer preference for bio-based products on account of growing environmental concerns is expected to hamper the market. Silica gel exhibits superior adsorption and high surface area properties which paves its way for use in water filtration. Transition towards physical treatment of water from conventional water-treatment methods is expected to have a positive impact. Growing environmental concerns coupled with the need to comply with stringent government regulations concerning waste-water treatment are some of the key factors which are likely to drive the silica gel industry. Increasing use of silica gel in the pharmaceutical industry for packaging to protect medicines from moist environment and thus getting decomposed or dissolved is expected to be a crucial success factor. Robust pharmaceutical manufacturing base in North America in light of supportive government regulations and expenditure on the healthcare industry will have a positive impact. Rising use of silica gel in personal care products as a scrub additive and in cosmetics on account of exhibiting free flow and smooth texturing properties is expected to drive the silica gel market. Silica gel acts as a catalyst support in the petrochemical industry for the production of polyolefin, chemical separation, filtration, and plastics production. Expansion of oil fields in Middle East in light of supportive government regulations for increasing the production of crude oil is expected to increase demand for the product.