Increase in the amount of adsorption on modified silica gel by using neutron flux irradiation

Boron-doped silica gel was formulated successfully in this study. The silica gel was doped with boron-10 to enhance microscopic damage and/or to increase micropore zones within the solid during neutron irradiation. As a result, the adsorbed amount per unit volume of silica gel in the adsorption-dehumidification systems was increased and the quantity of regeneration heat needed was decreased. A novel equipment for measuring breakthrough curves was built and utilized in the investigation. A computer real-time data acquisition system was designed for monitoring and recording the experimental data. A detailed description of the technique and its utilization will be given in this study. The surface properties of the modified adsorbents were measured by a BET sorptometer. Under operating conditions of this study, the amount of moisture adsorption by the modified adsorbent was increased by more than 23% of that of the commercial silica gel. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.