Gas and vapour movements in the soil: I. The diffusion of vapours through porous solids
- 1 July 1940
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Cambridge University Press (CUP) in The Journal of Agricultural Science
- Vol. 30 (3) , 437-462
- https://doi.org/10.1017/s0021859600048164
Abstract
The dependence of the coefficient of diffusion, D, upon the porosity, S, of a granular solid is investigated experimentally. For steady state conditions, using carbon disulphide and acetone vapours, it is shown that a curve connecting D/D0 and S can be drawn which is independent of the nature of the solid, its moisture content and, within limits, its texture. For a limited range of values of S (0·0 < S < 0·7) a good approximation is D/D0 = 0·66S and over this range the diffusion coefficients are larger than those found by Buckingham for carbon dioxide.Investigation of the non-steady state shows that in soils the attainment of pressure equilibrium is retarded by adsorption, and it is suggested that Buckingham's low values for steady-state conditions can be attributed to premature observations of the diffusion rates; the steady state had probably not been attained when his measurements were made.Keywords
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