• Computers and Concrete
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.19-31
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• 2017

This paper uses modelling and experiment to perform a quantitative analysis for the gypsum and ettringite formations in cement pastes subjected to sulfate attack. Firstly, based on Fick's law and chemical reaction kinetics, a diffusion model of sulfate ions in cement pastes is proposed, and then the model of the gypsum and ettringite formations is established to analyze its contents in cement pastes with corrosion time. Secondly, the corrosion experiment of the specimens with cement pastes immersed into 2.5%, 5.0% and 10.0% $Na_2SO_4$ solutions are carried out, and by using XRD-Rietveld method, the phases of powder samples from the specimens are quantitatively analyzed to obtain the contents of gypsum and ettringite in different surface depth, solution concentration and corrosion time. Finally, the contents of gypsum and ettringite calculated by the models are compared with the results from the XRD experiments, and then the effects of surface depth, corrosion time and solution concentration on the gypsum and ettringite formations in cement pastes are discussed.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Heat Treatment
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• v.13 no.5
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• pp.337-345
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• 2000

As a case hardening process for stainless steels, nitriding is more preferred and widely used than carburizing which deterioates corrosion resistance severely. In order to add the nitrogen into the stainless steels, passive film on the surface must be removed effectively before nitriding. Conventional gas nitriding process is performed in the temperature range of 500 to $600^{\circ}C$ with $NH_3$ gas, which often leads to sensitization of stainless steels. In this study, we tried to activate passive film of austenitic stainless steels by heating at low pressure. ($900^{\circ}C$, $5{\times}10^{-2}$ Torr.) Nitriding was performed at the solution treatment temperature of $1100^{\circ}C$ with nitrogen molecules instead of $NH_3$ gas. An attainable nitrogen content in a case depends on the nitrogen gas pressure at constant nitriding temperature. A case depth is proportional to the square root of solution time, which suggests that inward diffusion of nitrogen follows the Fick's 2nd law. Surface nitrogen atoms are dissolved as interstitial solutes, or precipitated in the form of MN, $M_2N$ nitrides, which increase the case hardeness. Dissolved nitrogen in the case enhances the cavitation resistance of austenitic stainless steels dramatically.

• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.232-239
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• 2016

Purpose: The aims of this study were to define the drying characteristics of rapeseed and to determine the optimum thin-layer drying model for rapeseed by considering the effects of drying temperature and relative humidity. Methods: The thin-layer drying experiments were conducted at different combinations of drying air temperature levels of 40, 50, and $60^{\circ}C$ and relative humidity levels of 30, 45, and 60%, on both of which drying rate depends. The drying rate increased with increasing air temperature as well as decreasing relative humidity. The 13 models were fitted to the experimental data. Results: From the results of the regression analysis for empirical constants of the Page model, the values of $R^2$ were the highest (ranging from 0.9924 to 0.9966) and the values of RMSE were the lowest (ranging from 0.0169 to 0.0296). Conclusions: For all drying conditions considered, the Page model was determined to be the most suitable model for describing the thin-layer drying of rapeseed (P-value < 0.01). The moisture diffusion coefficients were calculated using the moisture diffusion equation for a spherical shape, based on Fick's second law.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.22 no.3 s.81
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• pp.51-56
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• 2007

In recent years, many research works have been carried out in order to obtain a more controlled durability and long-term performance of concrete structures in chloride containing environments. In particular, the development of new procedures for probability-based durability analysis/design has proved to be very valuable. Although there is still a lack of relevant data, this approach has been successfully applied to some new concrete structures. In this paper, the equation used for modelling of the chloride penetration was based on Fick's Second Law of Diffusion in combination with a time dependent diffusion coefficient. The probability analysis of the durability performance was performed by use of a Monte Carlo Simulation. The procedure was applied to an example based on limited data gathered in this country. The influences of each parameter on the durability of concrete structures are studied and some comments for durability design are given. The new procedure may be very useful in designing an important concrete structures in chloride containing environments. Also it may help to predict the service life of concrete structures under a given probability of failure.

• Journal of Electrical Engineering and Technology
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.892-901
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• 2018

Because of excellent electrical properties, epoxy resin is widely used in packaging and casting power equipment. Moisture and temperature in the environment are inclined to seriously affect the insulation tolerance of epoxy resin. This work focuses on the aging characteristics of epoxy resin in hygrothermal environment. Scanning electron microscopy images show that there are micro-crack, micro-slit and holes inside aged samples. The moisture absorption process undergoes three equilibrium stages and it does not follow the Fick's second law. Observing the change of hydrogen bonds in the infrared spectra of the dried samples, it is found that chemically moisture absorption immerges when the physical moisture absorption entered the third equilibrium stage. By Debye equation to fit the imaginary part of the dielectric constant, it is concluded that the uniformity of water molecule has a great influence on the electrical conductivity loss. Furthermore, the polarization loss can be more easily affected by water molecules than small free molecules. After the aged samples being dried, their real and imaginary part of the dielectric constant descend, but their original electrical properties cannot completely restored. After chemical moisture absorption appears inside the material, the residual space charges increase significantly and the charge dissipation rate slow down obviously.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.143-152
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• 2017

This paper has numerically investigated the changes of loading-induced stress in concrete with the corrosion time in the sulfate-containing environment. Firstly, based on Fick's law and reaction kinetics, a diffusion-reaction equation of sulfate ion in concrete is proposed, and it is numerically solved to obtain the spatial and temporal distribution of sulfate ion concentration in concrete by the finite difference method. Secondly, by fitting the existed experimental data of concrete in sodium sulfate solutions, the chemical damage of concrete associated with sulfate ion concentration and corrosion time is quantitatively presented. Thirdly, depending on the plastic-damage mechanics, while considering the influence of sulfate attack on concrete properties, a simplified chemo-mechanical damage model, with stress-based plasticity and strain-driven damage, for concrete under axial loading and sulfate attack is determined by introducing the chemical damage degree. Finally, an axially compressed concrete prism immersed into the sodium sulfate solution is regarded as an object to investigate the time-varying stress in concrete subjected to the couplings of axial loading and sulfate attack.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.6 no.4
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• pp.281-303
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• 2009

The lack of safety of bridge deck structures causes frequent repair and strengthening of such structures. The repair induces great loss of economy, not only due to direct cost by repair, but also due to stopping the public use of such structures during repair. The major reason for this frequent repair is mainly due to the lack of realistic and accurate assessment system for the bridge decks. The purpose of the present research was to develop a realistic expert system, called Bridge Slab-Expert which can evaluate reasonably the condition as well as the service life of concrete bridge decks, based on the deterioration models that are derived from both the structural and environmental effects. The diagnosis assessment of deck slabs due to structural and environmental effects are developed based on the cracking in concrete, surface distress and structural distress. Fuzzy logic is utilized to handle uncertainties and imprecision involved. Finally, Bridge Slab-Expert is developed for prediction of safety and remaining service life based on the chloride ions penetration and fick's second law. Proposed expert system is based on user-friendly GUI environment. The developed expert system will allow the correct diagnosis of concrete decks, realistic prediction of service life, the determination of confidence level, the description of condition and the proposed action for repair.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.201-222
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• 2013

A comprehensive simulation model for the transport process of fully coupled moisture and multi-species in non-saturated concrete structures is proposed. The governing equations of moisture and ion diffusion are formulated based on Fick's law and the Nernst-Planck equation, respectively. The governing equations are modified by explicitly including the coupling terms corresponding to the coupled mechanisms. The ionic interaction-induced electrostatic potential is described by electroneutrality condition. The model takes into account the two-way coupled effect of moisture diffusion and ion transport in concrete. The coupling parameters are evaluated based on the available experimental data and incorporated in the governing equations. Differing from previous researches, the material parameters related to moisture diffusion and ion transport in concrete are considered not to be constant numbers and characterized by the material models that account for the concrete mix design parameters and age of concrete. Then, the material models are included in the numerical analysis and the governing equations are solved by using finite element method. The numerical results obtained from the present model agree very well with available test data. Thus, the model can predict satisfactorily the ingress of deicing salts into non-saturated concrete.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.79-93
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• 2012

This paper estimates theoretically the diffusion-reaction behaviour of sulfate ion in concrete caused by environmental sulfate attack. Based on Fick's second law and chemical reaction kinetics, a nonlinear and nonsteady diffusion-reaction equation of sulfate ion in concrete, in which the variable diffusion coefficient and the chemical reactions depleting sulfate ion concentration in concrete are considered, is proposed. The finite difference method is utilized to solve the diffusion-reaction equation of sulfate ion in concrete, and then it is used to simulate the diffusion-reaction process and the concentration distribution of sulfate ion in concrete. Afterwards, the experiments for measuring the sulfate ion concentration in concrete are carried out by using EDTA method to verify the proposal model, and results show that the proposed model is basically in agreement with the experimental results. Finally, Numerical example has been completed to investigate the diffusion-reaction behavior of sulfate ion in the concrete plate specimen immersed into sulfate solution.

• Advances in concrete construction
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.55-64
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• 2019

Chloride corrosion has become the main factor of reducing the service life of reinforced concrete structures. The object of this paper is to propose a theoretical model that predicts the service life of chloride-corrosive concrete under fatigue load. In the process of modeling, the concrete is divided into two parts, microcrack and matrix. Taking the variation of mcirocrack area caused by fatigue load into account, an equation of chloride diffusion coefficient under fatigue load is established, and then the predictive model is developed based on Fick's second law. This model has an analytic solution and is reasonable in comparison to previous studies. Finally, some factors (chloride diffusion coefficient, surface chloride concentration and fatigue parameter) are analyzed to further investigate this model. The results indicate: the time to pit-to-crack transition and time to crack growth should not be neglected when predicting service life of concrete in strong corrosive condition; the type of fatigue loads also has a great impact on lifetime of concrete. In generally, this model is convenient to predict service life of chloride-corrosive concrete with different water to cement ratio, under different corrosive condition and under different types of fatigue load.