Chapter-4

diffusion in solids
Diffusion in polymers
Diffusion in catalyst particles
Diffusion in adsorbents

DIFFUSION IN SOLIDS
Diffusional operations like leaching, drying,
and adsorption and membrane operations
such as dialysis, reverse osmosis and the
like involve contact of fluids with solids.
In these cases some of the diffusion occurs
in the solid phase and may proceed
according to any of several mechanisms.
It is possible to describe the diffusion by
the same basic laws, used for fulids, i. e.
Ficks law.

Ficks-law diffusion
The rate of diffusion of substance A
per unit cross section of solid, is
proportional to the concentration
gradient in the direction of diffusion,
-dcA/dz.

dc A
N A DA
dz

(4.1)

if DA is constant, integration of
eq.4.1 for diffusion through flat
slab of thickness z gives.

Ficks-law diffusion

DA c A1 c A2
NA
z

(4.2)

For other solid shapes the rate is

given by

DA S av c A1 c A2
w N A S av
z

(4.3)

For radial diffusion through a solid

cylinder of inner and outer radii
respectively a1 and a2 and length l,

Ficks-law diffusion

S av
and

2 a2 a1

ln a2 a1

( 4 .4 )

z a2 a1

( 4.5)

For radial diffusion through a spherical

shell of inner and outer radii a1 and a2,

S av 4a1a2
z a2 a1

(4.6)
( 4 .7 )