Application of finite difference method in the study of diffusion with chemical kinetics of first order

Abstract

The mathematical modelling of diffusion of a bleaching agent into a porous material is studied in the present paper. Law of mass conservation was applied to analize the mass transfer of a reactant from the bulk into the external surface of a solid geometrically described as a flat plate. After diffusion of the reactant, surface reaction following kinetics of first order was considered to take place. The solution of the differential equation that described the process leaded to an equation that represents the concentration profile in function of distance, porosity and Thiele modulus. The case of interfacial mass resistance is also discused. In this case, finite difference method was used for the solution of the differential equation taking into account the respective boundary conditions. The profile of concentration can be obtained after numerical especification of Thiele modulus and Biot number.