Editing Desiccator (section)

{{Short description|Sealable enclosures containing desiccants to preserve moisture-sensitive items}}
{{for|dry boxes and cabinets|dry box}}
[[File:Desiccator.jpg|thumb|right|A '''vacuum desiccator''' (left - note the stopcock which allows a vacuum to be applied), and a '''desiccator''' (right). The blue [[silica gel]] in the space below the platform is used as the [[desiccant]].]]
'''Desiccators''' are sealable enclosures containing [[desiccant]]s used for preserving [[moisture]]-sensitive items such as [[cobalt chloride paper]] for another use. A common use for desiccators is to protect chemicals which are [[hygroscopic]] or which react with water from [[humidity]].

The contents of desiccators are exposed to atmospheric moisture whenever the desiccators are opened. It also requires some time to achieve a low humidity. Hence they are not appropriate for storing chemicals which react quickly or violently with atmospheric moisture such as the alkali metals; a [[glovebox]] or [[Schlenk line|Schlenk]]-type apparatus may be more suitable for these purposes.

Desiccators are sometimes used to remove traces of water from an almost-dry sample. Where a desiccator alone is unsatisfactory, the sample may be dried at elevated temperature using [[Abderhalden's drying pistol]].