Advancing Boundary Model for Moisture Diffusion in A Composite Laminate

Abstract

Fick's diffusion law is applied to a one-dimensional diffusion case in which moisture diffuses through both surfaces into a composite laminate submerged in water. The advancing boundary model is adopted to study the moisture diffusion depth and also the moisture content distribution in the laminate. The major contribution of this work is establishing the procedure to obtain the required parameters for quantifying the depth of diffusion and the moisture content distribution which are related to the induced real-time hygric strain and important to the design of a composite structure that is to be used in a marine environment.