Abstract
A new adsorbent coating for the adsorber unit of an adsorption heat pump made of hybrid, organic–inorganic microfibres was prepared and characterized. Different coatings were obtained by the electrospinning of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) solutions added with different quantities of tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS). PVP is a polymer with water adsorption capability and the TEOS addition allowed to increase the thermal stability of microfibres. The aim, indeed, was to preserve the polymeric structure of microfibres in order to obtain coatings with high flexibility and mechanical strength. The results demonstrated that TEOS concentrations in the range of 5–13 wt.% produced microfibre coatings of non-woven textile structure with both good water affinity and good thermal stability. SEM images of coatings showed that the deposited microfibre layers have both a high surface area and a high permeability representing a significant advantage in adsorption systems.
Highlights
Electrospinning is a technique to produce fibres of sub-micrometric diameter by a relatively simple and inexpensive method [1,2,3]
The structural stability of the adsorbing material is a key issue: under cyclic water adsorption/desorption the material should not show structural modifications that could compromise the operational functioning of the adsorption machine
PVP is a polymer showing hydrophilic properties, so it could be an interesting adsorbing material adsorptionshowing chillers driven by low temperature advantage
Summary
Electrospinning is a technique to produce fibres of sub-micrometric diameter by a relatively simple and inexpensive method [1,2,3]. A jet of microfibres is continuously ejected towards a collector, forming a non-woven mat covering the surface [4,5]. The material typically used in electrospinning is a polymeric solution and there are many applications in which electrospun microfibres can be used, as demonstrated by the numerous patents and publications even in the medical and biomedical fields [6,7,8]. Mechanical strength, surface functionality, flexibility, and shape adaptability are some of the characteristics that make microfibre textiles interesting materials for new and traditional applications. In this work, electrospinning has been used to prepare an innovative functional coating made of hybrid microfibres for adsorption heat pump systems. Adsorption heat transformers are eco-friendly and sustainable systems for refrigeration and cooling
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