Research and Application Status of Humidity-controlling Materials
XIE Guitang1, ZHANG Jun1, YAO Ming1, WANG Yuchuan2, JIANG Guochang1,3, JIANG Zhiguo1
1 School of Materials Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology,Beijing 100029,China 2 Poly Power (Beijing) Technology Company Limited, Beijing 100020,China 3 Huizhou Beihuagong Industry-University-Research Base Technology Company Limited, Huizhou 516081, China
Abstract: Humidity-controlling materials can sense the humidity changes in environment, and use their own physical structure and chemical properties to achieve environment humidity-controlling. This adjustment method does not consume artificial energy and belongs to passive adjustment, in line with the concept of green sustainable development. The inorganic humidity-controlling materials are first used and the organic are developed later, but both types of materials have their own shortcomings. Their moisture absorption and moisture conductivity properties cannot be combined, which seriously hinders their application and development. The development of humidity-controlling materials tends to be organic/inorganic composite system. In this system, organic materials show ultra-high water absorption and high moisture absorption capacity, which can make up for the shortcomings of inorganic materials, that the inorganic materials deliquesce easily and show small moisture capacity. While the inorganic materials has a porous structure, which can make up for the shortcoming of organic materials, that the organic materials lack moisture conductivity. The combination of inorganic and organic materials enables the humidity-controlling materials a good response and a small hysteresis loop. In recent years, composite materials composed of different materials with humidity-controlling property show an improved moisture-absorbing and moisture-conducting properties. And the process of humidity-controlling is passive and green. That expanded the applications of humidity-controlling materials in different fields. For example, they have been used in the fields of indoor humidity adjustment, protection of books and cultural relics in the collection, and storage of food and medicine. This article summarizes the humidity-controlling mechanism, and the research status of different humidity-controlling materials and the application of humidity control materials in the fields of construction, cultural relics protection, and food and drug preservation. At the same time, the development direction of humidity-controlling materials is prospected.