Desiccant

For the use of chemicals in agriculture to aid harvesting, see crop desiccation.
Canisters are commonly filled with silica gel and other molecular sieves used as desiccant in drug containers to keep contents dry.
Silica gel in a sachet or porous packet

A desiccant is a hygroscopic substance that is used to induce or sustain a state of dryness (desiccation) in its vicinity; it is the opposite of a humectant. Commonly encountered pre-packaged desiccants are solids that absorb water. Desiccants for specialized purposes may be in forms other than solid, and may work through other principles, such as chemical bonding of water molecules. They are commonly encountered in foods to retain crispness. Industrially, desiccants are widely used to control the level of water in gas streams.[1]

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