Advanced Adsorbent Materials for Waste Energy Recovery

Abstract

Nowadays, waste thermal energy represents a huge quantity of energy that, in most cases, is unfortunately dispersed rather than recovered. Although it is well known that its recovery could result in a considerable impact reduction of human activities on the environment, it is still a challenging issue. In view of this, absorption chillers and heat pumps, based on the use of porous materials capable of reversibly adsorbing and desorbing water vapor, can be considered among the preferred systems to recover waste thermal energy, especially at medium–low temperatures. This study deals with the preparation and performance of a new generation of advanced adsorbent materials specifically produced as coatings for water adsorption systems driven by low temperature heat sources (around 150 °C). The proposed coating consists of hybrid SAPO-34/polyacrilonitrile microfibers directly deposited on the surface to be coated by means of the electrospinning technique. Their zeolite morphology and concentrations, as well as their distribution over the polymeric microfibers, were key variables in achieving the best combination of adsorption properties and hydrothermal stability of the coating.

Encapsulation of Disodium‐EDTA in Electrospun Polymeric Fibers for the Detection of Heavy Metals

“…In particular, it has been proposed its encapsulation in a polymeric fibrous structure obtained via the electrospinning technique, that is a consolidated and industrially-relevant procedure. [24][25][26][27] Electrospun nanofibers have indeed numerous advantageous characteristics, including a high surface-to-volume ratio, porous structures, and tunable properties (chemical composition, morphology, and dimensions). [28,29] Moreover, it was reported that the integration of nanomaterials as electrodes can improve the sensitivity and reproducibility of electrochemical methods [30] and the detection of HMs.…”

Electrospun Nanofibers and Electrochemical Techniques for the Detection of Heavy Metal Ions

“…The fields of application of electrospun nanostructures are numerous and wide, considering the high versatility of this kind of material. Manifold examples can be found in the environmental sector, such as in water treatment from contaminants [ 3 ], in the catalysis field, as improved catalysts [ 4 ], in biomedical applications, as medicament carriers [ 5 ], in sensor devices, as high reactive sensing materials [ 6 , 7 ], and in the sustainable exploitation of energy, as innovative adsorbents [ 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 ]. Moreover, the ES technique has been intensively employed for the design and fabrication of structured nanofibrous materials for energy conversion and storage devices, as well as dye-sensitized solar cells [ 12 ], fuel cells [ 13 ], lithium/sodium-ion batteries [ 14 ], supercapacitors [ 15 ], and electronic applications in general [ 16 ].…”

Focus on Materials for Sulfur-Resistant Catalysts in the Reforming of Biofuels

“…In order to contribute to decarbonization, today's energy sector is called to respond to a complex challenge: to simultaneously satisfy the recent energy needs of an increasingly large population, and to limit greenhouse gas emissions. On the one hand, there are promising solutions to supply the future energy demand, such as the recovery of waste energy and various technologies that produce power from renewable sources [1][2][3][4]. On the other hand, the last World Energy Outlook of the International Energy Agency explained what it means for the energy sector to achieve net-zero emission by 2050 (NZE2050) [5].…”