Probably wouldn't do much good if you did. Most of the small cloth covered packets of silica gel only hold a gram or two of the stuff, and since they are all exposed to the air, they are already completely saturated with moisture by the time you get them. It doesn't take very long for silica gel to become saturated. Even here in Utah, the second driest place in the country, a 40 gram pack of silica gel only last for 2 or 3 months. And that's inside a sealed container on top of it. So no, it would be a waste of time to try and use them.
Silica If you have a safe or closed area you can use a product made for the marine industry. It is to pull down the humidity in a boat when not in use. This would be like a 30` sail boat cabin. They are about 4" in diameter the moisture is deposited in a cup at the bottom. The crystals are held in a cage above. Try like West Marine.
silica gel is there a harm to the coins that when you use silica gel and sealed it inside a box and forget or lazy to change them?. let's say within a year?.
The harm is not from the use of silica gel - it's from the effective non-use that occurs when it has become saturated and you don't renew or refresh it. How much harm will occur depends entirely on the level of humidity and the exposure the coins get to damp air.
the ones i saw at amos had lifespans of 6 months/ 1 year and maybe longer if i recall. it also had estimated coverage area...i believe they also had other climate control devices.
Unless they are quite large, I would be extremely skeptical of any advertisement that said a silica gel pack would last longer than 3 months.
i haven't used them but they are called zerust vapor capsules and are 3"x5"..states protect rate at 33.5 cu ft or w/in a 2 ft capsule radius for 2 years. they are about 9$ a pop. they have several different types at amos. along with safe sized extra dry high cap de humidifiers. once again, i don't own them myself but it seems like a good buy...i am only going by the product descript but amos seems reliable as a supplier. even if it only lasts fro half that time...not bad coverage. if you subscribe to coin world you can even get a discount on some products.... just trying to help...steve
I checked - the Zerust Vapor Capsule does not contain silica gel. So perhaps it does last longer. However, given this - " The invisible, odorless and non-toxic VCI molecules saturate the atmosphere within the enclosure. They will protect the metal surfaces of an object as long as it is in this atmosphere. When the object is removed from the enclosure, the VCI molecules dissipate leaving the object clean, dry and corrosion free." And this - " Note: Vapor Capsules will "yellow" paper over an extended period of time. Do NOT use in proximity to antique books, valuable documents, currency or photographs." It appears that this product actually puts something into the air that is then deposited on items near it. Not sure I would want to risk it on my coins. Steve, I am not knocking the porduct you suggested - I've never even heard of it until today. I am just voicing some concerns I would have about using it.
I'm afraid of the silica gel. I saw a bottle full of gem Ikes in the mint set wrappers sealed with one of these packets go horribly bad. There may have been conditions of which I wasn't aware, but these coins blackened in only about three years.
i haven't used it either..they had it along with several others like silica gel packs and de humidifiers. at least there are several options to help protect the environment. the collector should ask to see if anyone has used these ...just want to try to provide some info to help. i moved a lot of my stuff to bank but have yet to put silica or anything else in the box with it. perhaps if anyone has used these products they could let us know. amos carries mini dehumidifiers for around $30- $40 which would fit in a safe and would provide good protection.
I would hesitate to blame the gel when talking about coins in close contact with paper. The mint does not use archival, acid and sulpher-free paper. I am one of many, many collectors who have used silica gel in safes or bank vaults for years without seeing any problems,
Were the coins in direct contact with the silica gel? (In a "bottle"I would think probably.) If so, once the gel became saturated it then acted to HOLD moisture in contact with the coins rather than to keep moisture away from the coins. Unsaturated Silica gel is good, saturated gel is bad. That is why it is a good idea to have at least one package of indicating silica gel that changes color when it is saturated and no longer working so that you know when to recharge the gel.
Not a good idea because of uncertainty as to the correct amount of time and the internal temperature they would reach. Overheating could be a serious problem. The rechargeable metal packs usually specify a couple of hours in a 350-400 degree oven. Paper ignites at ~450 degrees, plastics have various melting points that you couldn't determine by just looking at the package, and do you really want to put metal objects in your microwave?
Paper ignites at 451 celsius or 843 farenheit. Common misconception because of the book Farenheit 451. It was titled this because it sounded better than celcius 451. Recharging silica gel packs only requires heating them slightly above the boiling point of water based on your elevation relavent to sea level (212 F). The larger the pack, the longer it must be heated above boiling point. Silica is one of the most innert elements known therefore is very safe for archival storage. Save yourself money and save the little packs that come in various merchandise and once you have a bunch, spead them out on a cookie sheet, turn on your oven to 225 F and put them in for at least 1/2 hr. Turn off oven and allow it to cool and remove to your container immediately or to storage bag for future use.
