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Author(s): Andrea Gasparella, Giovanni Longo

Keywords: desiccant, dynamic viscosity, potassium formate, thermal conductivity, transient plane source

Abstract: H2O/KCOOH (potassium formate) is a highly soluble hygroscopic salt solution that has the potential to be used as a desiccant. However, the thermophysical properties of H2O/KCOOH are only available for concentrations between 20-50%, which is not beneficial for their use as dehumidifiers. In this paper, a TPS system was used to measure the thermal conductivity of H2O/KCOOH solution with salt concentrations of 60-80% between 1 °C and 80 °C. The results of this experiment showed that H2O/KCOOH is sensitive to salt concentration, but resistant to temperature. Thermal conductivity increased with temperature, but decreased inversely to the salt concentration. Overall, the thermal conductivity of the desiccant was 23-33% lower than water at the same temperature. Knowing the thermophysical properties of H2O/KCOOH over expanded conditions improves the chances that it will be used as a desiccant in the future.

Reference: International Journal of Refrigeration, 62 (2016) 106-113

DOI: 10.1016/j.ijrefrig.2015.10.004