Abstract: A moisture absorbing product, particularly for use in containers or railcars, includes a desiccant container including a plurality of separate desiccant holding compartments, each containing a quantity of desiccant material, a support over which the desiccant material is placed, a sheeting material, which substantially covers the desiccant container and which is permeable to gaseous water vapor but substantially impermeable to liquid water, and a strap with hook, secured to or within the support or desiccant container, which strap and hook are useful for hanging the moisture absorbing product within the container or railcar.

Abstract: There is disclosed a plate-shaped pressed body (wafer) produced from an inorganic sorbent and a binder, having a thickness of less than 700 ?m, which is produced by the process of compressing a mixture of the inorganic sorbent, the binder, and optionally water and compression aids at a pressure of at least 70 MPa, wherein the weight ratio of dry sorbent to dry binder is between about 4 and 0.7 and the water content of the mixture, measured at 160° C., is between 8 and 20%; and calcining the resulting pressed body at temperatures of at least about 500° C., until the water content is substantially removed.

Abstract: A moisture-absorbing polymeric material is disclosed which consists of a combination of a thermoplastic material with an absorbing agent. The thermoplastic material is chosen such that when the absorbing agent is added to the thermoplastic material in the molten state and subsequently formed into a product, the absorbing agent tends to migrate towards the surface of the moisture-absorbing polymeric material to form a migration zone, wherein the absorbing agent is more highly concentrated in the surface of the polymer material than towards the interior.

Abstract: A disk-shaped wafer is described which is based on an inorganic sorbent and a binder, with a thickness of less than 700 microns, which can be obtained by pressing a mixture of the inorganic sorbent, about 20 to 60% by weight of the binder and about 10 to 15% by weight water at a pressure of at least 70 MPa; and calcining the resulting green wafer at temperatures of at least about 500° C. until the water content is substantially removed.

Abstract: An irreversible humidity indicator card comprising an intermediate carrier member containing one or more holes, a clear, water vapor permeable first outer layer secured to the first side of the carrier member, a deliquescent material contained within the holes in the carrier member, a dark colored, absorbent sheet material secured to the back side of the carrier member to cover the holes in the carrier member and a second outer layer which covers the colored absorbent sheet material and a portion or all of the back side of the intermediate carrier member.

Abstract: A process for splicing cut ends of a continuous strip of packets or bags used to hold bulk material. The steps of the process include forming a continuous strip of packets from packaging material and filling the packets with bulk material. The edges of the packaging material are sealed to form individual packets of the continuous strip such that adjacent packets share a common sealed area of packaging material. Openings are then formed in the common sealed areas between the adjacent packets. The continuous strip is then cut entirely across the common sealed area of the packets at two separate locations on the continuous strip to form cut ends such that each of the cut ends of the continuous strip contains an opening in the common sealed area. Without using splicing tape, the two cut ends of the continuous strip with openings are spliced together such that the openings in the two cut ends overlap. The splicing process can be accomplished by ultrasonic welding, impulse splicing or other processes.

Abstract: A packaging container for electronic components, particularly integrated circuits, which includes a tray into which the integrated circuits can be secured, a tray cover which is secured onto the tray, wherein the tray cover is composed of a plastic material, a desiccating material and an electrostatic dissipating product. The tray cover may further include a humidity indicating system incorporated into the tray cover. The packaging container may also be placed within a water and moisture-proof barrier bag for shipment purposes.

Abstract: A continuous strip of packets or bags used to hold bulk material formed by processes including ultrasonic welding, impulse splicing, adhesive binding and other such processes. Also disclosed is equipment to produce these spliced products.

Abstract: An irreversible humidity indicator card comprising an intermediate carrier member containing one or more holes, a clear, water vapor permeable first outer layer secured to the first side of the carrier member, a deliquescent material contained within the holes in the carrier member, a dark colored, absorbent sheet material secured to the back side of the carrier member to cover the holes in the carrier member and a second outer layer which covers the colored absorbent sheet material and a portion or all of the back side of the intermediate carrier member.

Abstract: A desiccant composition containing a deliquescent salt and a modified starch containing from about 5 to about 95 percent of the deliquescent salt and from about 5 to about 95 percent of the modified starch.

Abstract: A disk-shaped wafer is described which is based on an inorganic sorbent and a binder, with a thickness of less than 700 microns, which can be obtained by pressing a mixture of the inorganic sorbent, about 20 to 60% by weight of the binder and about 10 to 15% by weight water at a pressure of at least 70 MPa; and calcining the resulting green wafer at temperatures of at least about 500° C. until the water content is substantially removed.

Abstract: There is disclosed a plate-shaped pressed body (wafer) produced from an inorganic sorbent and a binder, having a thickness of less than 700 &mgr;m, which is produced by the process of compressing a mixture of the inorganic sorbent, the binder, and optionally water and compression aids at a pressure of at least 70 MPa, wherein the weight ratio of dry sorbent to dry binder is between about 4 and 0.7 and the water content of the mixture, measured at 160° C., is between 8 and 20%; and calcining the resulting pressed body at temperatures of at least about 500° C., until the water content is substantially removed.

Abstract: A desiccant composition containing a deliquescent salt and a modified starch containing from about 5 to about 95 percent of the deliquescent salt and from about 5 to about 95 percent of the modified starch.