A particle comprises an inner part and an outer coating. The inner part comprises CaO and the outer coating comprises hydrophobic nanoparticles of a size less than 1 μm. The particle has an average size of from 1 to 1000 μm. A device adapted to perform an absorption process comprises at least one such particle. A method for manufacturing such a particle comprises mixing CaO with hydrophobic nanoparticles, and mixing with sufficient energy to obtain particles comprising CaO coated with the hydrophobic nanoparticles.

The dehumidifier container for storing desiccant includes a storage compartment and a holding compartment. The storage compartment has side walls and a bottom base to form a top opening with attachment devices. The attachment devices allow release of the storage compartment from the container for disposal of collected water without disturbing the desiccant material in the holding compartment. The holding compartment has a housing with openings along the bottom edge, a bottom panel, and a top panel with a vent. The bottom panel has a funnel portion and a drain outlet. Air flows through the vent of the top panel and openings of the housing. Fluid collected by the desiccant drains through the bottom panel to the storage compartment. There is a filter between the funnel portion and the drain outlet to maintain the desiccant in the holding compartment, while only fluid collects in the storage compartment.

The present invention achieves a moisture absorbing material which enables efficient dehumidification without supercooling or large heat quantity; and a dehumidifier in which the moisture absorbing material is used. The moisture absorbing material can be a dried product of a polymer gel in which an interpenetrating polymer network structure or a semi-interpenetrating polymer network structure is formed by (a) a stimuli-responsive polymer whose affinity with water changes reversibly in response to an external stimulus and (b) a hydrophilic polymer.

A material for moisture removal and/or water harvesting from air may include a hydrophilic material containing micropores and a low water activity material confined within the micropores of the hydrophilic material. Apparatuses containing such materials and methods for moisture removal and/or water harvesting from air by using such materials are also described.

A dehumidification system (1) comprising a sorption dehumidifier unit (2); a process air circuit (3) arranged to conduct a process air flow through desiccant material in the dehumidifier unit (2); a regeneration air circuit (4) arranged to conduct a regeneration air flow through desiccant material in the dehumidifier unit (2); and a heat pump (5) comprising an evaporator (6) and a condenser (7), where the system further comprises an intermediate fluid circuit (8) with a cooling fluid (C), arranged to cool the process air in a heat exchanger (9) before inlet of the process air into the dehumidifier unit (2), said intermediate fluid circuit (8) comprising a fluid pump (11) and a main conduit (8a) arranged to conduct cooling fluid (C) through the process air cooling heat exchanger (9) and through the evaporator (6) of the heat pump, and the intermediate fluid circuit (8) further comprising a flow control system (10) arranged to control the flow of cooling fluid (C) in the intermediate fluid circuit (8) to obtain a cooling fluid temperature dependent parameter value (T1) in the intermediate fluid circuit (8) upstream of the process air cooling heat exchanger (9), which corresponds to a given set-point cooling fluid temperature dependent parameter value (T1.sub.set).

An air purification device includes a housing configured to house a desiccant material filter and a fan coupled to the housing and configured to cause airflow to pass through the desiccant material filter. Moisture is to be collected from the airflow by the desiccant material filter. The moisture is to be removed from the desiccant material filter via one or more of heat or microwave energy.

A device and method for the provision of antimicrobial activity and/or moisture protection for goods and other items prone to damage caused by microbes and/or water, such as, for example, foodstuffs and other putrescible items, pharmaceuticals and other medical/veterinary products, paper and paper/fibre-board products, timber and wood products, electrical/electronic devices, clothes and fabrics, is disclosed. The device and method is particularly suitable for use with such goods and other items when contained within storage spaces (eg a package, refrigerator, wardrobe or shipping container). The device comprises a vapour-permeable container housing a moisture-removing material and an antimicrobial vapour-generating material in an arrangement such that water added to the device or absorption and/or adsorption of water vapour by the moisture-removing material causes the antimicrobial vapour-generating material to generate an antimicrobial vapour. A device and method for disinfecting items such as food containers and food preparation implements, is also disclosed.

An adsorption system for the production of demineralized water aboard a motor vehicle comprising: a condenser, an evaporator, a first and a second adsorbent bed, each containing adsorbent material. Each adsorbent bed is selectively connectable to the condenser and/or the evaporator by pipes provided with at least one control valve. Each adsorbent bed is selectively and alternately connectable to a supply circuit of a heating source and to a supply circuit of a cooling source via supply valves. The condenser is directly and selectively connectable to the evaporator by a direct branch provided with a relative throttle valve, An inlet valve is arranged along an air inlet branch, and selectively establishes a fluid connection between the air of the environment outside the system and the adsorbent beds, so as to capture water from the external air through an adsorption phenomenon performed by the adsorbent beds and to produce water.

Synergy between component parts of desiccants is disclosed that teaches how to augment performance of desiccants in the reduction of humidity. Single component desiccants lack the synergistic effect. The problem of single component deficiency is solved by the disclosed methods that generally engage the synergy between humidity attracting substances and polymeric substances. Synergy is observed in the improved desiccation being greater than the sum of the desiccating effects of the component parts. Resultant products are dual purpose in that they can be used both as desiccants and component parts of packaging materials.

Provided is a moisture absorbing material, a dehumidifying device, and a dehumidifying method each of which makes it possible to efficiently release absorbed moisture without use of a large quantity of heat. A moisture absorbing material (22) (i) having (a) a first state in which the moisture absorbing material (22) is capable of absorbing moisture and (b) a second state in which the moisture absorbing material (22) releases the moisture absorbed in the first state and (ii) having a property of changing from the first state to the second state in response to an external stimulus and returning from the second state to the first state when the external stimulus disappears, the moisture absorbing material (22) including: first through fourth moisture absorbing bodies (22a) through (22d) which have respective different stimulus response levels and are provided in order of stimulus response level so as to be in contact with one another.