A new type of composite polyvinyl alcohol/sodium polyacrylate (PVA-PAAS) nanofibrous membranes (NFMs) was prepared using the electrospinning method. The adsorption and desorption performance of these materials was compared with the PVA-PAAS solution-casted membranes (SCMs) experimentally. The test results show that the PVA-PAAS NFMs with 20% mass fraction of PAAS could adsorb 0.3 kg/kg of water vapor at 25 ?C and 80%RH

whose adsorption capacity is 78% larger than that of pure PVA NFMs under the same state. Approximately 90% of the adsorbed water vapor could be removed within 5 min

and adsorption equilibrium could be achieved in 15 min by the PVA-PAAS NFMs. Similarly

the PVA-PAAS NFMs exhibited a fast desorption rate and took only 15 min to reach desorption equilibrium

which is 1/200 of the required time for the PVA-PAAS SCMs to reach the same. When the regeneration air conditions were at 45 ?C

4000 kPa and 50 ?C

6000 kPa

both the desorption rates of water vapor in the PVA-PAAS NFMs were higher than 80%. Thus

the PVA-PAAS NFMs can be regenerated under low-temperature conditions

which make their utilization in low-grade energy possible. After 10 cycle tests

the capacity and rates of adsorption and desorption of the PVA-PAAS NFMs did not change

which indicates that this type of desiccants possesses good stability.