| Summary: | Svenska Aerogel AB has developed the material Quartzene® which is of the typeprecipitated silica and contains calcium - magnesium silicate ((Ca, Mg) SiO3). Thematerial is used for molecular filtration of contaminated air. Qartzene™, which is inpellet form, is porous and has a high internal surface which is a requirement for themolecular filtration. With the use of various impregnations, filtration can affect thedesired outcome. As an example Quartzene® can be impregnated with Potassiumhydroxide and clear the air of Sulfur dioxide, SO2 (Svenska Aerogel AB, n.d).Svenska Aerogel AB has developed Quartzene® further and new areas of application hasarosee, one of these areas is how the material function within dehumidification. Thepurpose of this study is to research and analyze how different impregnation salts effecthow Quartzene® function in terms of moisture absorption and moisture desorption.Quartzene® is a hygroscopic material, which is a material that easily absorbs and exudatesmoisture from the air. Materials with high porosity absorb moisture by adsorption andcapillary condensation. A hygroscopic material strives for equilibrium with ambientenvironment which is illustrated in a sorption curve where moisture absorption is set inrelation to relative humidity. In this study the jar method is used to measure moistureabsorption, this is shown with the use of sorption curves. The jar method uses saturatesalt solutions to create environments whit a set relative humidity. Quartzene® – pellets areplaced in jars and weighed at regular intervals to determine the moisture absorption.The results of this study indicate that impregnations affect the way that Quartzene®function in terms of moisture absorption and moisture desorption. Some of theimpregnations affect the material to absorb more moisture than Quartzene® that has notbeen impregnated, while others affect the material to absorb less moisture. The resultsalso show that sodium – based impregnation gives similar results as Quartzene® that hasnot been impregnated.
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