Container desiccant bags ES K

ES K container desiccant bags are hanging desiccant bags designed for use inside shipping containers during sea freight and intermodal transport. They help reduce the effects of moisture and condensation inside the container, including container rain, wet packaging, corrosion and cargo damage during long-distance shipping. The filling is natural clay with calcium chloride.

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ES K 1000 g container desiccant bag with a plastic hook

For cargo exposed to moisture during long-distance shipping

ES K container desiccant bags are used for shipments where goods remain closed inside a shipping container for many days or weeks. This applies especially to sea freight, intermodal shipments and export routes with long transit times, where changing temperature conditions may increase the risk of condensation. The solution is suitable for protecting palletised cargo, products packed in cardboard boxes, metal components, machinery parts, textiles and other moisture-sensitive goods.

Moisture damage often becomes visible only after delivery

In container shipping, the effects of moisture may only become visible after the container is opened at the consignee’s site. Wet cartons, signs of corrosion, mould growth or deterioration of packaging appearance can lead to complaints and additional costs. ES K container desiccant bags help reduce this risk by absorbing moisture from the surrounding air during transport.

Cutaway visualisation of ES K desiccant bags hanging beside cargo in a loaded shipping container

ES K container desiccant bags

ES K container desiccant bags are hanging desiccant bags designed for use inside shipping containers. The filling is based on calcium chloride impregnated natural clay, which absorbs moisture from the air in the cargo space. The absorbed water is retained inside the bag, and the bag does not drip even at full saturation. ES K is designed for transit times of up to 60 days.

The number of bags depends on the container type, transit time, route, cargo, pallets and packaging. See the Dosage tab for typical quantities and installation guidance.

For long routes or cargo that releases moisture, also consider ES Gel container desiccant strips. A container needs fewer ES Gel units than ES K bags.

Granules of natural clay impregnated with calcium chloride, the filling of ES K container desiccant bags

ES K 1000 g technical data

Composition: calcium chloride (CaCl₂, CAS 10043-52-4) and natural clay
Bag: 1000 g nonwoven bag with a plastic hook, 250 × 200 × 20 mm
Water vapour absorption capacity at 25 °C: up to 19% w/w at 20% RH, up to 30% w/w at 40% RH, up to 80% w/w at 95% RH
When saturated: the bag does not drip
Dust tightness: the nonwoven bag meets the dust-tightness requirements for type A desiccant bags under DIN 55473
Service life: trips of up to 60 days
Packing: airtight plastic bag, 12 bags per transport carton (12 kg), carton 315 × 300 × 240 mm
Shelf life: 24 months in unopened packaging, stored in a dry room at 5-30 °C
HS code: 2508 40 00
Compliance: REACH (free from dimethyl fumarate, Annex XVII, entry 61) and RoHS (Directive 2011/65/EU)
Approved for use in containers with products from organic agriculture (ECOCERT)

How many ES K bags does a container need?

Typical quantities for a transit time of up to 30 days, counted from loading to unloading, including waiting time in ports:

Container	Low-moisture cargo [bags]	Moisture-releasing cargo [bags]
20′	15	24
40′ and 40′ HC	30	48

Low-moisture cargo: metal, machinery, plastics, electronics, furniture and products made of dry wood. The typical quantity applies to cargo in tight packaging, without wooden pallets and crates, on a route through a temperate climate.

Moisture-releasing cargo: food and agricultural commodities such as grain, flour, coffee, cocoa, sugar and nuts, raw or fresh wood, and goods with a history of mould.

More bags are needed for low-moisture cargo on wooden pallets, in crates or in cartons, and for routes through the tropics or across the equator, the rainy or monsoon season, containers carried on deck, loading in rain and a wet container floor. For these conditions and transit times of up to 30 days, use the upper end of the recommended range: 16 bags in a 20′ container or 32 in a 40′ or 40′ HC container for low-moisture cargo; 28 or 56 bags, respectively, for moisture-releasing cargo.

Transit times of 31-60 days: send us the route and cargo details and we will propose the number of ES K bags for your shipment.

Installation in the container

Hang the bags by their hooks in the upper part of both side walls and near the doors, spaced evenly along the container. Keep them at least 25 mm from the cargo so they cannot be crushed during loading, and leave space for air to circulate around each bag. Do not place the bags on the container floor. Open the sealed outer plastic bag just before installation, as exposure to air reduces the absorption capacity of the bags.

Illustration comparing container rain and wet cargo on the left with dry cargo and hanging desiccant bags on the right

Moisture in shipping containers and container rain

Moisture inside a shipping container may come from the air, pallets, packaging, auxiliary materials and the cargo itself. During sea freight, the container is exposed to changing temperature and humidity conditions. Water vapour can condense on the container walls and ceiling when their surfaces cool below the dew point of the air inside.

This leads to a phenomenon known as container rain: water droplets forming on cold container surfaces may fall onto the cargo. Condensation on the walls and ceiling is also called container sweat, and when moisture condenses on the cargo itself, it is known as cargo sweat. In practice, this increases the risk of wet cartons, corrosion of metal components, mould growth or damage to the transported goods.

ES K container desiccant bags help reduce the amount of moisture in the container by absorbing water vapour from the surrounding air. They are a ready-to-use B2B solution for sea freight and intermodal transport, especially where reducing the risk of condensation and cargo moisture damage is important.

The chart below shows an example for 1 m³ of air at 20 °C and about 62% RH: the air reaches saturation at about 12 °C, and further cooling to 5 °C causes 3.8 g of water to condense.

Technical Data Sheet (TDS)

Safety Data Sheet (SDS) on request. Send us a message using the form below or write to us, and we will send the current document.

Want to reduce the risk of moisture in your shipping container?

Reduce the risk of wet cartons, corrosion and mould in your next shipment. Request a quote to check availability and delivery terms. The minimum order is one carton of 12 bags, and most orders are dispatched within 2-5 working days.

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ES container desiccant bags with plastic hooks and a sample of granular filling

Container desiccant bags: selection and use

The problem becomes more significant on long routes, during changes in climate zones and when there are large temperature differences between day and night. When the walls or ceiling of the container cool below the dew point of the air inside, water vapour condenses on these surfaces in the form of droplets. Such conditions are especially unfavourable for metal components, machinery parts, products packed in cardboard boxes, goods placed on wooden pallets, textiles and cargo for which moisture may lead to complaints, loss of commercial quality or additional costs for the consignee.
ES K bags are hanging container desiccants with plastic hooks for easy installation. They provide container moisture control by absorbing water vapour from the air. The filling is natural clay with calcium chloride. This helps reduce the risk of condensation and wet packaging during transport.
Selection depends on the transit time, the climate zones on the route, day and night temperature swings, and how much moisture the cargo and wooden pallets hold at loading. A long voyage through tropical zones needs more absorption capacity than a short route in a temperate climate. ES K is designed for transit times of up to 60 days.
Desiccant bags should be treated as part of shipment preparation, not as a last-minute addition. In containers loaded with pallets, access to the side walls may quickly become limited, so the placement of the bags should be planned before loading starts or carried out step by step during loading. Before closing the container, it is worth checking whether the interior is dry, whether pallets and packaging are not damp, and whether the bags will not be crushed, covered or damaged by the cargo. The desiccant bags should have as much free contact as possible with the air inside the cargo space.
Store ES K bags in their sealed outer plastic bag, in a dry room at 5-30 °C. The shelf life in unopened packaging is 24 months. Open the outer bag just before installation and keep any unused ES K bags in an airtight container.
Yes. ES K are ready-to-use container desiccant bags for exporters, importers, logistics operators, manufacturers and packaging departments that ship goods over long distances. As a B2B desiccant supplier, we provide information about availability, packaging, technical documentation and delivery terms on request.

Request a quote for ES K container desiccant bags

Tell us the container size, cargo and transit time, and we will propose the number of bags and send a quotation.

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Container desiccant bags ES K