Development Of Chitosan Based Affordable And Eco Friendly Desiccants For Environmental Applications

Abstract

Regulating Humidity is vital for a comfortable indoor environment. To ensure good newlineair quality relative humidity (RH) must be maintained within the permissible range. newlineControlling RH enhances the efficiency and durability of moisture sensitive equipment. Desiccant based humidity controllers are widely employed to maintain indoor RH. Solid desiccant cooling (SDC) systems are also gaining attention as a sustainable alternative to conventional compression chillers. The present study describes a one-pot synthesis of bio-polymer (chitosan) assisted alumina and silica based desiccant derivatives at room temperature and atmospheric pressure. The desiccants were characterized in detail, for better understanding of the morphological, textural, and chemical nature. Performance evaluation of granular desiccant composites as dehumidifier is evaluated and demonstrated. Results revealed the exceptional dehumidifying ability of the desiccants more than its self-weight. As a bench mark the desiccants were compared with commercial silica gel (SG) and were found that the moisture removal efficiency is 3 10 times better than conventional SG. The desiccants were employed for several cycles of ehumidification and regeneration processes. Moreover, the excellent and continued newlineability to adsorb moisture make the as-prepared desiccants an interesting candidate newlinefor possible use in harvesting moisture from the atmosphere as well. The reuse potential of exhausted desiccants towards enhanced removal of metal ions was analyzed and demonstrated. The nanoarchitectured adsorbent composites were characterized to establish the chemical composition and structure. Batch and fixed-bed column adsorption experiments were performed to evaluate the removal efficiency of the adsorbents and to assess the parameters that influence the adsorption process. The experimental evidences showed that the kinetics of adsorption and desorption were fast and the composite can be effectively regenerated. The enhanced removal capacity of moisture and metalions newline