Kraton Corporation, a global specialty chemical company, in partnership with IIT Bombay, Porus Labs and Infosys, selected as a Finalist in the Global Cooling Prize

Kraton Corporation, a global specialty chemical company, is collaborating with Infosys Ltd., the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, and Porus Labs to develop a hybrid cooling solution, NexarCool™ Technology, using a membrane dehumidification system based on Nexar™ polymer.

Technology Description

NexarCool™ technology integrates a membrane-based dehumidifier with a water-based direct evaporative cooling system to achieve air conditioning without using any refrigerant.

The technology utilizes the exceptionally high and selective moisture transport properties of the Nexar membrane. The membrane-based dehumidifier system removes moisture from the room air and ejects it to the outside, thus dehumidifying the indoor air. Water evaporative cooling, by which the moving air loses its heat as it evaporates water, then reduces the temperature. This integrated approach to cooling is expected to have significantly lower energy consumption than conventional air conditioners sold today. Additionally, because no refrigerant is used, the technology has the potential to dramatically lower climate impact.