Skip to main content
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Desiccation processes and materials. Final report, February 1987-September 1990

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:5415449

The objective of the research was to develop an advanced desiccant material that would improve the efficiency and cost effectiveness of gas-fired desiccant air conditioning systems. The technical approach was to apply ionic polymer material and Langmuir-Blodgett film fabrication technologies for low-cost fabrication of high performance desiccant matrices. A Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) film deposition facility was set up to test thin film polymers on silicon wafers. A measurement of water uptake on silicon wafers has not been successful due to a critical relationship between sample size and sensitivity of state-of-the-art instrumentation. The research was successful in identifying a Type 1M polymer-based material as a result of testing of adsorption and desorption isotherms of 15 polymers in thick film form. Crosslinked polystyrene sulfonic acid sodium form (XPSSA) was identified as the most promising polymer with respect to the stated objectives. XPSSA polymer exhibits water sorption characteristics with negligible hysteresis and no deliquescence.

Research Organization:
Eaton Corp., Milwaukee, WI (United States). Corporate Research and Development-Milwaukee Center
OSTI ID:
5415449
Report Number(s):
PB-91-194308/XAB; CNN: GRI-5087-293-1462
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English