Air handling units
MOFs and good indoor air quality
Conor Hamill, chief operating officer of MOF Technologies explores the benefits of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) in managing indoor air quality (IAQ)
A
ir quality is firmly on the agenda. You only need a quick look through the news to see the growing body of research now making a direct link between prolonged exposure to pollution and poor health. Rightly, much of
the effort is focused on improving outdoor air quality. Less attention, however, is given to the effects of poor IAQ, particularly in public
buildings as well as other environments such as corporate offices where large numbers of people are likely to congregate for extended periods. Maintaining these environments is difficult, not least because there are a
growing number of factors to consider. Carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide removal are well-established challenges but there are also other more mysterious issues, like Sick Building Syndrome (SBS), that pose a growing challenge to those responsible for maintaining healthy indoor environments. The good news is there are new approaches emerging that are set to transform
the way IAQ is managed. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) represent one these new opportunities, not only helping to improve the standard of indoor air we breathe but also lowering the amount of energy used to create a comfortable building.
What are MOFs?
MOFs are a new class of crystalline super-adsorbent. Composed of metal ions and organic linkers, they can be formed in one-, two- and three-dimensional
structures. Their highly porous nature often sees them likened to sponges, though unlike that material MOFs can be designed to capture, store and release specific gases. This is done through a careful selection of metals and linkers during the first stages of synthesis. It is this bespoke quality along with a high storage capacity that gives MOFs so
much promise. Other adsorbents, like activated carbon and silica gel, cannot hold anywhere near as much medium and are unable to be used in such a selective way. MOFs on the other hand, offer record-breaking porosities (up to 10,000m2/g) and can be developed to target everything from ethylene and ammonia to carbon dioxide and methane from complex gas mixtures.
Creating healthier, more productive air
Given the tuneable properties of MOFs and their ability to hold huge amounts of medium, the implication for creating better indoor environments is clear. In schools, for example, these products could be used to specifically target and capture the carbon dioxide that can quickly build up in the average 30-seat classroom. One teacher at a school in Surrey found that CO2 levels rocketed after conducting a double lesson with the windows closed. In just 90 minutes, levels had reached 2,300 parts per million (ppm), or 0.23% of the air, far exceeding the normal level of circa 400ppm.
www.heatingandventilating.net
16 September 2021
DOWNLOAD THE HVR APP NOW
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44