Model
Digital Document
Publisher
Florida Atlantic University
Description
The objective of this thesis is to develop a new experimental method to characterize
the diffusion of water in polymer resins, based on the evolution in the volume of water
droplets as a function of time. A finite element model is established to model the mass
transport of water droplet through evaporation and diffusion processes. Diffusivity of water
into polymer resins is then extracted by matching the volume variation of the simulated
water droplet to the experimental results. Capability of this method is demonstrated by
determining the diffusivity of water into void-free epoxy and epoxy samples with voids.
Diffusion coefficient value obtained from this method agrees with data from conventional
water immersion method. The significantly small scale of the water droplet (less than 10
microliter) allows rapid characterization of diffusivity in hours instead of months as
typically required by the conventional immersion method. The method developed here provides a useful tool for rapid and effective characterization of diffusivity of water in
polymer substrates and can be extended to other substances as well.
the diffusion of water in polymer resins, based on the evolution in the volume of water
droplets as a function of time. A finite element model is established to model the mass
transport of water droplet through evaporation and diffusion processes. Diffusivity of water
into polymer resins is then extracted by matching the volume variation of the simulated
water droplet to the experimental results. Capability of this method is demonstrated by
determining the diffusivity of water into void-free epoxy and epoxy samples with voids.
Diffusion coefficient value obtained from this method agrees with data from conventional
water immersion method. The significantly small scale of the water droplet (less than 10
microliter) allows rapid characterization of diffusivity in hours instead of months as
typically required by the conventional immersion method. The method developed here provides a useful tool for rapid and effective characterization of diffusivity of water in
polymer substrates and can be extended to other substances as well.
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