Effect of non-sorptive inclusions on capillary absorption by a porous material

Abstract
The absorption of water into a porous material containing non-sorptive inclusions is analysed in terms of unsaturated flow theory. Expressions are obtained for the effect of inclusions on the permeability, the hydraulic conductivity, the hydraulic diffusivity and the sorptivity. New data on the water sorptivity S of gypsum plaster containing additions of sand ranging from 0 to 0.49 volume fraction alpha support the theoretical relation S'/S=1-1.25 alpha +0.26 alpha 2 approximately for the sorptivity. This result provides indirect confirmation of the expressions for the other quantities on which the sorptivity relation depends.

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