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This video is the result of a test I did where I measured the humidity absorbing ability of traditional silica gel beads versus a bulk supermarket crystal cat litter.

Quite interesting results.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1JBQMfS4los

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Silica gel desiccant showdown - normal versus crystal cat litter

I've come across various articles claiming that silica gel based cat litter can be used as a moisture absorber, so I decided to test that and see how well it actually worked. The cat litter I used was Bob Martin Felight cat litter, which I think is the silica gel based version. Most notable difference was the lightness of the cat litter crystals. For a specific volume the cat litter is significantly lighter than the solid beads. I think it's optimised to be porous. If you enjoy these videos you can help support the channel with a dollar for coffee, cookies and random gadgets for disassembly at:- https://www.bigclive.com/coffee.htm This also keeps the channel independent of YouTube's algorithm quirks, allowing it to be a bit more dangerous and naughty. #ElectronicsCreators

Comments

Jack Hodgson

Interesting experiment. Thank you. I too would like to know how the price compares, eg. grams of water absorbed per 1pound (price) of gel?

Palmit

Clive. Grind the Bob Martin things in to a chunky power. that'll give more surface area and allow more to fit into the dehumid thingy.

H_D

I wonder about the comparative speed of absorption as well, I imagine that the cat litter may be formulated to absorb the moisture more quickly at a cost to density. But I also suppose that less dense = less material and less cost for something that you are going to dispose of after one use.

Dave Frederick

Thanks Big Clive. I'm wondering if you put the larger crystals in like a food processor if the results would change? Smaller crystals or what have you having more surface area and mass to start with? Interesting experiment. Thanks.