Agent for absorbing and releasing water vapor

Abstract

Disclosed herein is an agent for absorbing and releasing water vapor, which comprises a homopolymer of at least one monomer selected from specific N-alkyl- or N-alkylene-substituted acrylamides and methacrylamides, a copolymer of two or more of the acrylamides and methacrylamides, a copolymer of said at least one monomer with one or more monomers other than the acrylamides and methacrylamides and copolymerizable therewith, or a water-insolubilized product of the homopolymer or either one of the copolymers. The above agent has broad utility for humidity control of gases, humidity control in green houses and prevention of fogging on surfaces of transparent materials, as humidity sensors and dew sensors, etc.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A process of humidity control by contacting humid gas with an agent for absorbing and releasing water vapor, said agent comprising the combination of: (A) from 95 to 3 wt. % of a water insolubilized product prepared from: (a) a homopolymer of a monomer selected from the group consisting of N-alkyl- and N-alkylene-substituted (meth)acrylamides of formula (I): ##STR3## wherein R 1  is hydrogen or methyl, R 2  is hydrogen, methyl or ethyl, and R 3  is methyl, ethyl or propyl and formula (II): ##STR4## wherein R 1  is hydrogen or methyl, and A is --CH 2 ) n , wherein n is an integer of 4 to 6, or --CH 2 ) 2  --O--(CH 2 ) 2  ;   (b) a first copolymer of at least two monomers selected from the group consisting of said N-alkyl- and N-alkylene-substituted (meth)acrylamides; or   (c) a second copolymer of at least one monomer selected from the group consisting of said N-alkyl- and N-alkylene-substituted (meth)acrylamides and at least one monomer other than said N-alkyl- and N-alkylene-substituted (meth)acrylamides which is copolymerizable with the N-alkyl- and N-alkylene-substituted (meth)acrylamides; and     (B) from 5 to 97% by wt. of a hygroscopic material selected from the group consisting of metal halides and metal perchlorates.   
     
     
       2. The process of claim 1, wherein said agent is water-insolubilized by copolymerizing at least one monomer of formula (I) and/or (II) with a crosslinkable monomer containing at least two double bonds per molecule in an amount of 0.01-10 wt. % relative to the total monomer. 
     
     
       3. The process of claim 1, wherein said agent is water-insolubilized by heating said homopolymer or said first or second copolymer to 60°-250° C. 
     
     
       4. The process of claim 1, wherein said agent is water-insolubilized by integrating said homopolymer or said first or second copolymer with solid materials. 
     
     
       5. The process of claim 4, wherein the integration process is conducted by impregnating or coating a solid material selected from the group consisting of fibrous materials and plate materials. 
     
     
       6. The process of claim 1, wherein the monomer is selected from the group consisting of N-n-propylacrylamide, N-n-propylmethacrylamide, N-isopropylacrylamide, N-isopropylmethacrylamide, N-ethylacrylamide, N,N-diethylacrylamide, N-ethyl-methacrylamide, N,N-diemethylacrylamide, N,N-dimethyl-methacrylamide and N-methyl-N-ethylacrylamide. 
     
     
       7. The process of claim 1, wherein the monomer of formula (II) is selected from the group consisting of N-acryloylpyrrolidine, N-methacryloylpyrrolidine, N-acryloylpiperidine, N-methacryloylpiperidine, N-acryloylmorpholine and N-methacryloylmorpholine. 
     
     
       8. The process of claim 7, wherein the monomer is selected from the group consisting of N-acryloylpyrrolidine, N-acryloylmorpholine and N-acryloylpiperidine. 
     
     
       9. The process of claim 8, wherein the monomer is selected from the group consisting of N-n-propylacrylamide N,N-diethylacrylamide and N-isopropylacrylamide. .Iadd. 
     
     
       10.  A process of preventing fogging of a transparent material by forming a layer of an agent thereon, comprising the steps of: (A) forming a layer of said agent prepared from: (a) a monomer or a homopolymer of a monomer selected from the group consisting of N-alkyl- and N-alkylene-substituted (meth)acrylamides of formula (I): ##STR5## wherein R 1  is hydrogen or methyl, R 2  is hydrogen, methyl or ethyl, and R 3  is methyl or ethyl and formula (II): ##STR6## wherein R 1  is hydrogen or methyl, and A is --CH 2 ) n , wherein n is an integer of 4 to 6, --CH 2 ) 2  --O--(CH 2  -- 2  ;   (b) a first comonomer or a first copolymer of at least two monomers selected from the group consisting of said N-alkyl- and N-alkylene-substituted (meth)acrylamides; or   (c) a second comonomer or a second copolymer of at least one monomer selected from the group consisting of said N-alkyl- and N-alkylene-substituted (meth)acrylamides and at least one monomer other than said N-alkyl and N-alkylene-substituted (meth)acrylamides which is copolymerizable with the N-alkyl- and N-alkylene-substituted (meth)acrylamides; and     (B) insolubilizing said agent by heating said layer to 60°-250° C. or by exposing said layer to UV light or δ-rays. .Iaddend. .Iadd.   
     
     
       11.  The process of claim 10, wherein the monomer of formula (I) is selected from the group consisting of N-ethylacrylamide, N,N-diethylacrylamide, N-ethylmethacrylamide, N,N-dimethylacrylamide, N,N-dimethylmethacrylamide and N-methyl-N-ethylacrylamide. .Iaddend. .Iadd.12. The process of claim 10, wherein the monomer of formula (II) is selected from the group consisting of N-acryloylpyrrolidine, N-methacryloylpyrrolidine, N-acryloylpiperidine, N-methacryloylpiperidine, 
     
     
        N-acryloylmorpholine and N-methacryloylmorpholine. .Iaddend. .Iadd.13. The process of claim 11, wherein the monomer of formula (I) is 
     
     
        N,N-diethylacrylamide. .Iaddend. .Iadd.14.  The process of claim 12, wherein the monomer is further selected from the group consisting of N-acryloylpyrrolidine, N,acryloylmorpholine and N-acryloylpiperidine. .Iaddend.