Study on the dehumidification performance of silica gel desiccant coated with different binders

The desiccant coated heat exchanger is a crucial component in a solid adsorption dehumidification system, using a binder to adhere the desiccant to the heat exchanger fins, enhancing dehumidification and heat transfer performances. The choice of binder is a critical factor influencing the dehumidifier’s effectiveness. The effect of different binders on the performance of the silica gel desiccant coated was investigated with polyvinyl alcohol, styrene butadiene rubber and epoxy resin as binders. And effect of the coated layer thickness and binder and desiccant mass ratio on the dehumidification performance of coated layer was examined. The results indicated that the coated layer with silica gel-aluminum plate using polyvinyl alcohol had poor adherence. Considering adsorbent quality, adherence, and adsorption performance, the coated layer with epoxy resin, thickness of 0.4mm and binder and desiccant mass ratio of 1:9 for silica gel-aluminum plate exhibited better the performance.