Silica Gel Beads

[George]

If in contact with the paint, will these do anything to the paint over time will they ?

Some of my bottles are laying down so these will be touching the paint..

[Peter Bentley 彭达理]

Hi George

I would  say  yes.  Silica  gel is a   drying  agent, as far as I recall

Cheers
Peter

[George]

Sorry Pat, so is that a yes as in safe ?

[Peter Bentley 彭达理]

Yes  as  in  NOT  safe ....

Silica gel is a granular, vitreous, porous form of silicon dioxide made synthetically from sodium silicate. Silica gel is tough and hard; it is more solid than common household gels like gelatin or agar. It is a naturally occurring mineral that is purified and processed into either granular or beaded form. As a desiccant, it has an average pore size of 2.4 nanometers and has a strong affinity for water molecules.

Silica gel is most commonly encountered in everyday life as beads in a small (typically 2 x 3 cm) paper packet. In this form, it is used as a desiccant to control local humidity to avoid spoilage or degradation of some goods. Because silica gel can have added chemical indicators (see below) and absorbs moisture very well, silica gel packets usually bear warnings for the user not to eat the contents.