UNSPSC 12165302: Silica gel

Silica gel is an amorphous and porous form of silicon dioxide (silica), consisting of an irregular tridimensional framework of alternating silicon and oxygen atoms with nanometer-scale voids and pores.

UNSPSC 12165302 Silica gel (Commodity) does not align with recent state and local procurement activity under this code. The source contains no relevant solicitations for silica gel products themselves. Instead, the opportunities tagged to this code span water and wastewater laboratory services, analytical instrumentation, maintenance and repair contracts, and specialized equipment procurement across multiple issuing bodies and states.

The recent opportunities reveal heavy activity in water-quality laboratory operations and equipment across state departments, municipal utilities, and county agencies in California, Texas, Florida, Oregon, Michigan, Connecticut, and Arizona. Representative solicitations include the City of Santa Monica Water Resources Division's ITB 4520 for laboratory analysis of water, wastewater, stormwater, and recycled water samples (due October 21, 2026); the City of Arlington, Texas annual requirements contract for laboratory supplies and chemicals to water treatment plants and laboratories (due September 17, 2026); Escambia County procurement for IDEXX water-quality testing supplies (due August 24, 2026, approximately $50,000 estimated annual cost); the City of St. Petersburg's RFQ for an automated Biochemical Oxygen Demand analyzer (due July 24, 2026); and the State of Oregon Public Health Laboratory's ITB for environmental monitoring equipment with temperature, humidity, and contamination sensors (due May 14, 2026, with integration of existing infrastructure required). Issuing bodies include municipal water departments, county utilities and health agencies, state health authorities, and regional water authorities. A mismatch exists between the code's nominal scope and actual procurement under it—the code references silica gel as a desiccant chemical, but state and local governments are not currently buying silica gel through these tagged opportunities. Vendors in laboratory consumables, analytical services, and water-quality instrumentation should note the activity but verify code alignment before pursuing individual opportunities, as tagging accuracy varies.