Studies on Dehumidification Potential of Clay With Additives and Impregnated with Cacl2 Composite Desiccants

Abstract

The present work features the preparation and estimation of properties, newlinedehumidification performance assessment and utilization of clay based composite newlinedesiccants. Transported clay suitable for pot making is used as desiccant carrier. newlineComposite desiccant is formulated such that transported clay is heat treated (burnt newlineclay) and impregnated with CaCl2. To improve the performance of desiccant carrier, newlinecomposite desiccants were synthesized using two additives namely saw dust and newlinehorse dung. Transported clay are moulded to near spherical shape and are subjected to newlineshadow drying and later dried at higher temperature in a furnace. The heat treatment newlineat 500°C reveals higher weight reduction and porosity. Heat treated desiccants are newlinethen characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Brunauer Emmet Teller newline(BET) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques. The BET test reveals that clay newlinesamples subjected to 500°C posses higher pore volume and clay-horse dung particles newlineexhibit higher surface area. Heat treated desiccants namely clay, clay with 20% saw newlinedust and clay with 20% horse dung are impregnated with CaCl2 solution of 50% newlineconcentration by soaking method. The SEM image and elements analysis indicated newlinethat the composite desiccant has porous surface and uniform distribution of CaCl2 due newlineto heating at 500°C. XRD pattern indicates the porous nature of burnt clay-additives newlinecomposite desiccant. The decrease in height of diffraction peaks with CaCl2 newlineimpregnation reveals the presence of CaCl2. The variation of thermo - physical newlineproperties like thermal diffusivity, specific heat, density and thermal conductivity of newlineburnt clay with and without impregnation of CaCl2 and the effect of additives, newlinenamely, saw dust and horse dung at various percentages is investigated. Rapid newlinetransient measurement technique is used for the measurement of thermal diffusivity. newlineSpecific heat is determined by energy balance.