Recent progress on composite desiccants for adsorption-based dehumidification

Humidity plays a significant role in both daily life and industrial manufacturing. Adsorption-based dehumidification attracts considerable attention due to advantages of temperature and humidity independent control and great energy-saving potential. For adsorption-based dehumidification systems, desiccants are the basis for optimizing heat transfer and moisture adsorption performance. Despite the rapid advancements in materials science, few systematic classifications concerning composite materials are available. The primary objective of this paper is to provide a holistic and explicit roadmap of recent developments in composite desiccants, directing at its application in adsorption-based dehumidification for energy efficient utilization. Improvements in heat transfer can be achieved by adding high thermal conductivity materials or by reasonably designing structures of dehumidification components. Moisture adsorption is enhanced by combining different desiccants to maximize their functions. Three main categories are classified, that is, salt-embedded composites, porous matrix-polymer composites and polymer-polymer composites. This paper can help to identify the research gaps and explore promising approaches for future study to further enhance the energy efficiency of adsorption-based dehumidification technologies.