WHY DOES CONTAINER RAIN OCCURS EVEN WHEN CONTAINER DESICCANTARE USED?

You load your container with high-absorption container desiccant and find the rain-damaged products at their destination.

You add more container desiccant for your next shipment, believing this will solve the problem. It does not solve. Goods arrive soaked and unfit for use.

The reality is that the complex nature of container shipping means that we often have to take a step back to analyze the problem rather than looking for more of the same in the search for a solution.

There are several periods during a trip when there is an increased risk of container rain damaging your shipment.

Under these circumstances, you can pack your container with 100 kg of high-capacity container desiccant and still not be able to eliminate the risk of container rain damage.

That's why we encourage shippers to move away from a one-dimensional approach to securing cargo and adopt a multi-solution strategy to break the condensation cycle at different points.

The core of this philosophy is Britwrap. This high-capacity Blanket hangs over the cargo and absorbs drops of condensation falling from the container roof, providing unbeatable protection even in high-risk periods.

To better understand why container rain forms even when using cargo desiccants, check out our guide below.

 When container rain forms on the first night

A few hours after loading, the cargo is at risk of being damaged by container rain. This is because condensation starts to form on the roof of the container as soon as the temperature drops on the first night of the trip.

The problem is that container desiccant do not suck all the moisture out of the air as soon as they are introduced into the shipping container.

Instead, they work gradually, absorbing a little moisture each day throughout their journey.

This means that when the temperature drops on the first night, the container desiccant are unable to reduce the relative humidity of the container to prevent the dew point from being reached.

This scenario represents not only an immediate risk for the load but a risk that is repeated with the cyclical fluctuations in temperature between day and night.

In this situation, Britwrap is essential to protect your products from container rain at all stages of the journey.

The risk of container rain in the middle of the trip

During the entire shipment, the goods inside the container will be exposed to temperature extremes and fluctuations. These conditions are most often. Significantly greater than environmental ones, as the walls of the metal container heat up and cool down with the cyclic changes in temperature between day and night.

These fluctuations directly lead to the formation of condensation inside the container, which results in moisture damage to the cargo.

Due to the complex nature of international shipping, which can cause ships to cross the equator or move from one climate region to another, changes within the container can happen very quickly.

Under these circumstances, the load desiccants do not have enough time to absorb sufficient amounts of moisture before condensation forms. This leaves the products exposed to container rain.

During these periods, Britwrap offers incomparable protection, even in the event of heavy container rain.

When charge desiccants reach their capacity

Toward the end of a shipment, the charge desiccants have likely reached full capacity. This means that they are not able to absorb more moisture from the air in the container.

Unfortunately, this is the time when goods are most at risk. During unloading, conditions inside the container vary greatly due to exposure to direct sunlight, which leads to the formation of container rain.

Any delay at this time will increase the risk of damage to the cargo.

As you can see in the diagram below, container rain forms regularly throughout a voyage, with long periods common towards the end of a shipment.

During these periods of increased risk, the importance of Britwrap in providing ever-present protection is invaluable, soaking up any rain that does form.