Modelling of moisture diffusion in pores of banana foam mat using a 2-D stochastic pore network: Determination of moisture diffusion coefficient during adsorption process

The purpose of this research was to determine the diffusion coefficient of moisture in the pores of banana foam mat using stochastic pore network. A 2-D pore network was used to represent the pore voids inside the banana foam sample and the moisture movement inside the individual pore segments was described by Fick's law. To determine the moisture diffusion coefficient, the adsorption experiments were carried out with standard static method using saturated salt solutions. Two banana foam densities of 0.21 and 0.26 g/cm(3) were used to adsorb the water vapour. The interactions between moisture and pore structure were illustrated using a 3-D pictorial representation of network concentration gradients in spaces with colour representing the moisture content. The network model described the experimental results relatively well. The diffusion coefficient of moisture in pores was in order of 10(-9) m(2)/S which was nine times higher than the effective diffusion coefficient calculated from the continuum model. The value of moisture diffusion coefficient was dependent on the temperature and independent of the foam densities and the relative humidity, except for the diffusivity determined from the condition at higher relative humidity of 70%. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.