Article ID Journal Published Year Pages File Type
687483 Chemical Engineering and Processing: Process Intensification 2012 5 Pages PDF
Abstract

Varied water diffusivities estimated by Crank's equation have been reported. However, the corresponding theoretical explanation is still not available. Here reported is our effort about this concern. A model combining the Fick's second law diffusion with a convective boundary condition on the material surface is solved numerically, and the obtained solution is used to estimate water diffusivity through Crank equation. The result shows that a significant underestimation of water diffusivity occurs due to a failure to account for appropriate boundary, which may imply that Crank's equation need be further improved.

► Crank's equation is a reason causing the variation of estimated water diffusivity. ► Crank's equation may lead to misinterpretations of water diffusivity. ► Crank's equation is an improper equation to estimate water diffusivity.

Related Topics
Physical Sciences and Engineering Chemical Engineering Process Chemistry and Technology
Authors
, , ,