Characterization of Supersorbent Polymers for Dehumidification. Final Report

摘要

The findings of a study are reported in which the supersorbent polymer, H-SPAN (hydrolyzed starch-polyacrylonitrile) was evaluated as a means of controlling humidity in confined environments. Its equilibrium moisture capacity was found to be more than twice that of the traditional desiccants, Silica Gel and Activated Alumina, over the relative humidity range of 60% to 90%. Below a relative humidity of 60%, however, Silica Gel, Activated Alumina and H-SPAN gave essentially identical performance with regard to equilibrium sorption capacity. The H-SPAN polymer could be regenerated at 120 exp 0 F which is considerably below the 400 exp 0 F required for the inorganic desiccants. This represents a savings in energy costs during the regeneration step. Although there are many parameters which might drastically affect performance, a selected hypothetical system indicates that the supersorbent polymer powder can be used to economically control humidity in enclosed environments. The predicted economic savings range from 1 or 2% to as much as 30% of the cost of operating a refrigeration unit. An additional requirement of the sorption system is that it must be coupled with an air cooling system to remove sensible heat entering the environment from sources within and without. This can be done by incorporating heating and cooling coils within the supersorbent bed. In any event the use of organic based sorbents to control humidity represents new technology which will require a considerable amount of development and marketing before it becomes a viable alternative for air conditioning practice. (ERA citation 08:012569)