Posted By:
Gilbert MainesSilica Gel does not give off gases.
Just the opposite. Silica Gel will remove most gases other than air, from the air.
Silica Gel routinely extracts its own weight in water from the area it occupies.
If you have any questions regarding my credentials or experience to make these statements, please e-mail me. But you can take this to the bank.
I am not sure that moisture in a safe will ever get sufficiently high to affect a slabbed card, but that is a factor of moisture level, time of exposure at that level, diffusion rate, and biological considerations regarding mold and related biologicals.
By comparison, a towel will do almost nothing to reduce the moisture level in an enclosed space. Even one right out of the dryer.