10.2172/1179077

Abstract

The co-adsorption of iodine and water on silver-functionalized silica aerogel was evaluated using research quantities of the aerogel prepared at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. A macro thermogravimetric analyzer was used to measure weight changes in a thin bed of the aerogel as air streams containing moisture and/or iodine flowed through the bed. The total gas flow in all tests was adjusted to achieve a velocity of 10 m/min through the bed. Initial heating of the aerogel sample to 150°C in dry air (dew point < -60°C) resulted in weight loss on the order of 1 wt %. Because subsequent phases of the tests indicated that the aerogel did not sorb water, the weight loss was speculated to be caused by volatilization of material that may have been used in the manufacture of the aerogel. Follow-on tests are recommended to ascertain if the aerogel sorbs water at low temperatures, such as 25°C—this would help to determine if a manufacturing reagent is volatilized when raising the sample to iodine sorption temperatures (i.e., 150°C). Alternatively, the off-gas released upon heating could be condensed and analyzed. In tests using humidified air streams with dew points between -60°C and +10°C, the aerogel did not adsorbmore » water at test temperatures of either 75°C or 150°C. Because water alone was not adsorbed, tests were performed to ascertain if iodine sorption varied between cases when nearly no water was present in the gas stream and when water was present. In one experiment, the gas stream consisted of dry air (dew point < -60°C) with an iodine concentration of 50 ppmv. In the other experiment, the gas stream consisted of air with a water dew point of 0°C and an iodine concentration of 50 ppmv. The ultimate weight gain was nearly the same in both experiments and was presumed to be due entirely to adsorption of iodine. However, a reduced rate of iodine uptake is indicated when water vapor is present. The reason for this is unclear. In both cases, purging the sample with dry, iodine-free air resulted in some weight loss (~2 wt %). It is recommended that the gas phase chemistry of the iodine–water system be reviewed to ascertain if iodine species that are less reactive with silver than molecular iodine are present; this could explain the reduced sorption rates when water is present. Further evaluation of the desorption is recommended, especially to determine how raising the temperature would affect desorption.« less