Silica Gel Orange

The REACH Compliant Indicator

SorbiTech Silica Gel Orange is the modern indicating silica gel, produced with a methyl violet impregnation that replaces the cobalt chloride used in the classical blue grade. The colour shifts from orange in the dry state to dark green as the bed loads, giving the same visual signal of remaining capacity without the cobalt content that triggers the EU REACH Substance of Very High Concern listing.

Bead size, surface area, and water capacity are unchanged from the white and blue grades, so a regulated facility can swap to the orange gel without re engineering the bed or the breather hardware.

Transformer Breathers and Switchgear

A transformer breather charged with SorbiTech Silica Gel Orange protects the insulating oil from atmospheric moisture during cooling cycles. The orange to dark green colour change is visible from the inspection platform; once half the bed has changed colour, the cartridge is removed for regeneration or replacement.

SorbiTech supplies pre packaged stainless steel breather cartridges in the standard sizes used by the major transformer OEMs, with the SorbiTech gel charged under controlled humidity and sealed for shipment.

Replacing Blue Gel in Existing Installations

Where an existing installation runs on cobalt chloride blue gel and the operator faces REACH compliance pressure, the SorbiTech Silica Gel Orange is the drop in replacement. The change does not require any hardware modification; the operator simply orders the orange grade at the next scheduled replacement and notes the colour change reference on the operator instruction.

Regeneration

The orange gel is regenerated thermally at 120 to 180 °C, the same temperature range as the blue and white grades. The dark green colour shifts back to orange during regeneration, and the cartridge is returned to service.

Forms and Supply

Manufactured to ISO 9001:2015 as 2 to 5 mm beads. Standard packaging is 25 kg drums or 1 kg sealed bags, or pre packaged in stainless steel transformer breather cartridges. SorbiTech recommends the orange grade as the REACH compliant drop in replacement for the classical blue gel; see the parent silica gel family, the power and utilities sector, and the gas drying applications.