Activated carbon/superporous hydrogel composite-based polymer desiccants for capturing water vapor from humid air

Mubinul Islam; Hemant Mittal; Ali Al Alili; Saeed Alhassan; Vaneet Kumar; MD Didarul Islam

doi:10.1016/j.powtec.2025.121001

Activated carbon/superporous hydrogel composite-based polymer desiccants for capturing water vapor from humid air

Mubinul Islam, Hemant Mittal, Ali Al Alili, Saeed Alhassan, Vaneet Kumar, MD Didarul Islam

Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA)

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

2 Scopus citations

Abstract

The removal of water vapor from the atmosphere is crucial across various industries, and high-performance porous solid desiccants can enhance sustainable practices. Traditional desiccants like silica gel have limitations, including low adsorption capacity and high regeneration temperatures. This study introduces superporous hydrogel (SPH) composites made from acrylic acid and dimethyl acrylamide, with porous activated carbon from sunflower seed shells as fillers. We characterized the desiccants using techniques such as FTIR, XRD, SEM, and TGA. The water vapor adsorption isotherm for both SPH and the composite displayed type-III isotherms, indicating capillary condensation as the main adsorption mechanism. The composite SPH achieved a maximum water vapor adsorption capacity of 0.908 g_wat/g_ads at 0.9 relative pressure and 25 °C, surpassing the pristine SPH by 19 %. Durability tests showed the composite retained 93 % efficiency after ten cycles, compared to 86 % for the pristine SPH, demonstrating its enhanced reusability.

Original language	British English
Article number	121001
Journal	Powder Technology
Volume	458
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.powtec.2025.121001
State	Published - 31 May 2025

Keywords

Porous carbon
Solid desiccants
Superporous hydrogels
Water vapor adsorption

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.1016/j.powtec.2025.121001

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@article{38cb372958264dc580b99263e3cda714,

title = "Activated carbon/superporous hydrogel composite-based polymer desiccants for capturing water vapor from humid air",

abstract = "The removal of water vapor from the atmosphere is crucial across various industries, and high-performance porous solid desiccants can enhance sustainable practices. Traditional desiccants like silica gel have limitations, including low adsorption capacity and high regeneration temperatures. This study introduces superporous hydrogel (SPH) composites made from acrylic acid and dimethyl acrylamide, with porous activated carbon from sunflower seed shells as fillers. We characterized the desiccants using techniques such as FTIR, XRD, SEM, and TGA. The water vapor adsorption isotherm for both SPH and the composite displayed type-III isotherms, indicating capillary condensation as the main adsorption mechanism. The composite SPH achieved a maximum water vapor adsorption capacity of 0.908 gwat/gads at 0.9 relative pressure and 25 °C, surpassing the pristine SPH by 19 \%. Durability tests showed the composite retained 93 \% efficiency after ten cycles, compared to 86 \% for the pristine SPH, demonstrating its enhanced reusability.",

keywords = "Porous carbon, Solid desiccants, Superporous hydrogels, Water vapor adsorption",

author = "Mubinul Islam and Hemant Mittal and \{Al Alili\}, Ali and Saeed Alhassan and Vaneet Kumar and Islam, \{MD Didarul\}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2024",

year = "2025",

month = may,

day = "31",

doi = "10.1016/j.powtec.2025.121001",

language = "British English",

volume = "458",

journal = "Powder Technology",

issn = "0032-5910",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Activated carbon/superporous hydrogel composite-based polymer desiccants for capturing water vapor from humid air

AU - Islam, Mubinul

AU - Mittal, Hemant

AU - Al Alili, Ali

AU - Alhassan, Saeed

AU - Kumar, Vaneet

AU - Islam, MD Didarul

PY - 2025/5/31

Y1 - 2025/5/31

N2 - The removal of water vapor from the atmosphere is crucial across various industries, and high-performance porous solid desiccants can enhance sustainable practices. Traditional desiccants like silica gel have limitations, including low adsorption capacity and high regeneration temperatures. This study introduces superporous hydrogel (SPH) composites made from acrylic acid and dimethyl acrylamide, with porous activated carbon from sunflower seed shells as fillers. We characterized the desiccants using techniques such as FTIR, XRD, SEM, and TGA. The water vapor adsorption isotherm for both SPH and the composite displayed type-III isotherms, indicating capillary condensation as the main adsorption mechanism. The composite SPH achieved a maximum water vapor adsorption capacity of 0.908 gwat/gads at 0.9 relative pressure and 25 °C, surpassing the pristine SPH by 19 %. Durability tests showed the composite retained 93 % efficiency after ten cycles, compared to 86 % for the pristine SPH, demonstrating its enhanced reusability.

AB - The removal of water vapor from the atmosphere is crucial across various industries, and high-performance porous solid desiccants can enhance sustainable practices. Traditional desiccants like silica gel have limitations, including low adsorption capacity and high regeneration temperatures. This study introduces superporous hydrogel (SPH) composites made from acrylic acid and dimethyl acrylamide, with porous activated carbon from sunflower seed shells as fillers. We characterized the desiccants using techniques such as FTIR, XRD, SEM, and TGA. The water vapor adsorption isotherm for both SPH and the composite displayed type-III isotherms, indicating capillary condensation as the main adsorption mechanism. The composite SPH achieved a maximum water vapor adsorption capacity of 0.908 gwat/gads at 0.9 relative pressure and 25 °C, surpassing the pristine SPH by 19 %. Durability tests showed the composite retained 93 % efficiency after ten cycles, compared to 86 % for the pristine SPH, demonstrating its enhanced reusability.

KW - Porous carbon

KW - Solid desiccants

KW - Superporous hydrogels

KW - Water vapor adsorption

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105001373666

U2 - 10.1016/j.powtec.2025.121001

DO - 10.1016/j.powtec.2025.121001

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:105001373666

SN - 0032-5910

VL - 458

JO - Powder Technology

JF - Powder Technology

M1 - 121001

ER -

Activated carbon/superporous hydrogel composite-based polymer desiccants for capturing water vapor from humid air

Abstract

Keywords

UN SDGs

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