DIN 55473 is the German national standard for desiccant bags used in packaging. It defines the Desiccant Unit (DU), a fixed quantity of moisture-adsorbing capacity (about 6 grams of water at 23 C and roughly 40% RH), so desiccants of different types can be compared and the required quantity for a package or container can be calculated precisely.

What is a Desiccant Unit (DU)?

A Desiccant Unit is the standardised unit of moisture-adsorbing capacity defined by DIN 55473 and MIL-D-3464E, approximately the amount that adsorbs 6 grams of water at 23 C and about 40% relative humidity. Rating desiccants in DU lets different types and bag sizes be compared and specified on equal terms.

How is the required desiccant quantity calculated under DIN 55473?

Using the DIN 55474 formula n = (V x b + sum of (m x a)) / c, which sums the moisture held by the enclosed air (volume V times a factor b) and the moisture released by hygroscopic packing materials (mass m times release factor a), then divides by the working capacity c of one Desiccant Unit. The result is the number of DU required.

Does DIN 55473 relate to MIL-D-3464E?

Yes. DIN 55473 and the US military standard MIL-D-3464E both define desiccant performance using a comparable Desiccant Unit concept, so a desiccant certified to both satisfies European export and military-grade requirements. BENZ manufactures its desiccants to both standards.

Standard Reference

DIN 55473: The Desiccant Standard, Explained

When a European buyer asks for a “DIN 55473 desiccant,” they are asking for a defined, measurable performance, not a bag of unknown content. DIN 55473 is the standard that makes desiccants comparable and containers calculable. This is what it specifies, how the Desiccant Unit works, and how to use it to size a shipment, from the manufacturer that builds to it.

Reviewed by the BENZ Packaging technical team · Updated June 2026

We Manufacture To It →

What It Is

The Standard That Makes Desiccants Comparable

DIN 55473 is the standard issued by the Deutsches Institut für Normung (the German national standards body) that specifies the requirements for desiccant bags used in packaging. Its central contribution is the Desiccant Unit (DU): a defined, fixed quantity of moisture-adsorbing capacity. One DU is the amount of desiccant that adsorbs a specified mass of water under defined reference conditions, in practice about 6 grams of water at 23°C and roughly 40% relative humidity. By rating every desiccant in DU rather than in grams or bag sizes, the standard lets a buyer compare a clay bag, a silica gel sachet and a calcium chloride unit on equal terms, and lets an engineer calculate exactly how many units a given package needs.

This is why DIN 55473 is the baseline qualification across European export packaging and is recognised worldwide: it converts “moisture protection” from a vague promise into a calculable, auditable specification. Its companion, DIN 55474, sets out the calculation procedure for the required quantity, and it aligns closely with the US military standard MIL-D-3464E, which defines desiccant performance for defence and high-reliability packaging.

The DIN 55473 / 55474 Calculation

How the standard turns a package into a precise number of units.

Required desiccant quantity

n = ( V × b + Σ ( m_i × a_i ) ) / c

n = number of Desiccant Units required · V = volume of the enclosure or barrier (m³) · b = factor for the enclosed air's moisture and the required protection duration · m_i = mass of each hygroscopic material inside (kg) · a_i = that material's water-release factor · c = working capacity of one DU.

The calculation sums two moisture sources, the water held by the enclosed air and the water that the packing materials (wood, paper, cardboard) will release, then divides by the capacity of one unit. The result is the exact number of Desiccant Units. Because calcium chloride carries far more working capacity per kilogram than clay or silica gel, the same DU requirement translates into far fewer physical units, which is why a 40ft container that would need dozens of clay bags needs only a handful of calcium chloride units.

Why Buyers Require DIN 55473

What the certification actually guarantees.

Defined Performance

A DU is a measured capacity, not a marketing claim, so a certified desiccant performs to a known, auditable standard.

Calculable Quantity

With DU ratings, the required number of units for any package or container can be calculated precisely, no over- or under-dosing.

European Procurement Baseline

European OEMs, automotive and logistics buyers require DIN 55473 as the minimum qualification for export-grade desiccants.

Customs & Audit Ready

Certification and test data support customs documentation and supply-chain audits across global trade corridors.

Cross-Standard Alignment

DIN 55473 aligns with MIL-D-3464E, so a single specification satisfies both European and military-grade requirements.

Comparability

Different desiccant types can be compared and substituted on a like-for-like DU basis.

The Manufacturer Behind It

BENZ Manufactures and Certifies to DIN 55473

BENZ Packaging manufactures its BENZPACK® BE DRY™ and BE DRY™ ULTRA calcium chloride container desiccants and BENZPACK® C DRY™ activated clay to DIN 55473, and issues the certification, test reports and Safety Data Sheets that European procurement and customs expect. Because we make the product and control the chemistry, we can run the DIN 55473 / 55474 calculation for your exact container, cargo and route, and supply the certified units, anywhere in the world. The standard is only as good as the manufacturer that builds to it; BENZ builds to it.

Need a DIN 55473 Calculation and Certified Desiccants?

Send your container, cargo and route, and our team will run the DIN 55473 / 55474 calculation and supply certified BENZPACK desiccants with full documentation, free of charge, worldwide.

BENZPak CarbonSmart

BENZPak WasteSmart

BENZPak PaperSmart