Desiccant sachets for the pharmaceutical industry
Moisture is one of the variables that define a drug’s shelf life. It hydrolyses the active ingredient, cakes powders, softens gelatin capsules and shifts the dissolution profile of a tablet — all inside a bottle that already left the plant sealed.
GRF supplies the desiccant that goes inside that package: silica gel sachets from 0.5 gram, filled in a clean, segregated area, with the pouch material chosen to match the customer’s filling line.
The problem
Moisture keeps working after the bottle is closed
The air trapped inside a medicine bottle carries water vapour, and the primary package — however good the barrier — exchanges moisture with the environment throughout the entire shelf life. The product spends months in distribution centres, pharmacies and bathroom cabinets, in climates the plant does not control.
The effect shows up in several ways: hydrolysis of the active ingredient and loss of assay, tablets that harden or disintegrate out of specification, powders and granules that cake, hard gelatin capsules that soften or crack, and effervescent tablets that react ahead of time.
The desiccant inside the package is there to absorb that residual moisture and whatever crosses the barrier, keeping internal relative humidity low for the full declared shelf life.
What GRF delivers
Silica gel for those who package medicines
Sachets from 0.5 g
Sized for bottles, jars, blisters and unit-dose packs, according to headspace volume and barrier material.
Filled in a clean area
Clean, segregated area with quality control at every step — from incoming beads to the sealed sachet.
Pouch material to match the use
Nonwoven for general use, DuPont Tyvek® where particle barrier and tear resistance are required, and special packaging for pharmaceutical lines.
Physical adsorption, no liquid
Silica gel holds moisture in the pores of the bead. It does not dissolve, form a solution or generate liquid inside the bottle.
Chemically inert
Does not react with the active ingredient or with the primary packaging material. Non-toxic, odourless and non-corrosive.
Made in Brazil
Manufactured in Sorocaba, Brazil: short lead times, no import cost and a technical team you can reach.
Quality
Control at every step, from bead to sealed sachet
Filling takes place in a clean, segregated area, with quality control at every step of production. It is the standard demanded by those who package medicines, and it is the same standard applied to every batch that leaves the plant.
For applications that need more than ordinary nonwoven, we supply sachets in genuine DuPont Tyvek® — the same substrate used in medical device packaging, combining vapour permeability with a particle barrier and high tear resistance.
Fill weight, pouch material, sachet printing and bulk packaging are defined together with your team, according to the filling line and the bottle format.
Where it is used
Dosage forms that call for a desiccant
GRF silica gel is applied inside the primary or secondary package, next to the product:
- Tablets and coated tablets in bottles
- Hard gelatin capsules
- Effervescent tablets
- Powders and granules for reconstitution
- Blisters in secondary packaging
- Supplements and nutraceuticals
- In vitro diagnostic kits
- Test strips and cartridges
- Packaged medical devices
- Raw materials and inventory
Products
What GRF supplies to this industry
Sachets from 0.5 g
Silica Gel
The desiccant that goes inside the bottle, jar or blister, next to the product. From 0.5 g, in nonwoven, DuPont Tyvek® or special packaging.
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Desiccant for boxes and packaging
Dry Pack
Bentonite sachets from 0.5 g to 1 kg for cartons, secondary packaging and raw material storage.
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Container desiccant
Dry Box
Calcium chloride on the container walls, to export a batch without container rain.
View the productFAQ
Frequently asked questions about pharmaceutical desiccants
What fill weight does my bottle need?
It depends on the free headspace volume, the permeability of the barrier material, the relative humidity you need to maintain and the intended shelf life. GRF works from 0.5 gram upwards, and our technical team sizes the sachet with you from those figures.
Why silica gel and not calcium chloride inside the bottle?
Silica gel works by physical adsorption: it holds moisture in its pores and keeps its shape, dry to the touch, without ever generating liquid. Calcium chloride works by deliquescence — it absorbs far more water, but dissolves in it and forms a solution. That is why calcium chloride goes on container walls and silica gel goes inside the package, next to the product.
Can the sachet be in direct contact with the tablet?
Yes. Silica gel is non-toxic, odourless, chemically inert and non-corrosive, and the sachet is sealed. The pouch material is chosen to match the requirement: nonwoven, DuPont Tyvek® or special packaging for pharmaceutical lines.
Does GRF provide a technical data sheet?
Yes. The current data sheet is sent on request, with specifications for composition, particle size and adsorption capacity. Contact our team describing the application and the packaging format.
Do you print custom sachets?
Yes. The sachet can be identified to the customer’s requirement. Printing, fill weight, pouch material and bulk packaging are defined together, according to the filling line.