Desiccant

Desiccants for specialized purposes may be in forms other than solid, and may work through other principles, such as chemical bonding of water molecules.

It absorbs water from natural gas, minimizing the formation of methane hydrates, which can block pipes.

One commonly used indicator is cobalt chloride (CoCl2), which is blue when anhydrous, but turns purple upon bonding with two water molecules (CoCl2·2H2O).

[1] One example of desiccant usage is in the manufacture of insulated windows where zeolite spheroids fill a rectangular spacer tube at the perimeter of the panes of glass.

Bagged desiccants are also commonly used to protect goods in barrier-sealed shipping containers against moisture damage: rust, corrosion, etc.

[4][5] Hygroscopic cargo, such as cocoa, coffee, various nuts and grains, and other foods[6] can be particularly susceptible to mold and rot when exposed to condensation and humidity.

[7] Desiccants are used in livestock farming, where, for example, new-born piglets are highly susceptible to hypothermia owing to their wetness.