In this paper we studied the effect of a non-adsorbable gas (air) on kinetics of water adsorption on loose grains of the composite adsorbent SWS-1L (silica modified by calcium chloride) (grain size 0.8-0.9 and 1.4-1.6 mm). The adsorbent grains were placed on the surface of isothermal metal plate at T = 60 degrees C and equilibrated with the mixture of water vapor at P-H2O = 10.3 mbar and air at a certain partial pressure P-A. After that the metal plate was subjected to a temperature drop down to 35 degrees C at almost constant pressure over the grains. Reduction of the adsorption rate was revealed even at the partial pressure of residual air PA as low as 0.06 mbar. At P-A > 0.4 mbar the kinetic curves were near-exponential and the characteristic adsorption time tau did not depend on the grain size and increased as tau = tau(0) + AP(A), where A = 700 +/- 50 s/mbar. Desorption stage was less affected by the residual air. The specific cooling power generated during the isobaric adsorption stage was estimated as a function of the residual air pressure. (c) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.