Experimental investigation of sodium polyacrylate-based innovative adsorbent material for higher desalination and cooling effects

•Sodium polyacrylate (SP) is investigated as an adsorbent.•Composite SP/CaCl2 has been presented.•Characteristics of raw SP, SP/HCl, SP/(NH4)2CO3), and SP/CaCl2 have been studied.•AD system has been modeled employing SP/CaCl2.•Fresh water production of 41 m3/ton has been recorded. This study explores enhancing adsorption system’s performance utilizing sodium polyacrylate (SP) as an adsorbent for the first time. Four innovated SP samples are explored: raw SP, SP/HCl, SP/(NH4)2CO3), and SP/CaCl2 composite for adsorption desalination and cooling applications. Different characterization methods, including X-ray diffraction, nitrogen adsorption isotherm, and water adsorption (isotherms and kinetics) of SP samples, are investigated. Water adsorption experimental results onto SP samples and their numerical fitting with the Dubinin-Astakhov equilibrium model for isotherms and linear driving force model for kinetics have been expressed. The composite SP/CaCl2 had the highest experimental adsorption uptake of 1.26 kgH2O/kg among the studied samples. At 85 °C regeneration temperature, water desalination production per day (SDWP) achieves 15 m3/ton, with a cooling power of 425 W/kg. SDWP could reach 41 m3/ton of SP/CaCl2 per day with heat recovery. The system can obtain an SDWP of 45 m3/ton per day at a regeneration temperature of 95 °C. The findings show that the system can run efficiently using renewable energy, waste heat, or geothermal energy as heat sources.