Describing ion diffusion mechanisms in cement-based materials using the homogenization technique

The application of the homogenization technique to the mathematical descrip tion of the diffusion mechanisms in saturated cement-based materials is dis cussed. According to this approach, the transport and mass conservation equ ations are first written at the microscopic scale to describe the movement of particles in the fluid phase of the material. These equations are then a veraged over the entire volume of the material. An example of the applicati on of the homogenization technique is given. The homogenization technique i s used to describe the diffusion of ions in cement-based systems. The vario us equations are written to consider the charged nature of the ionic partic les and the coupling between the various ionic fluxes. The numerous advanta ges of this technique for the modeling of mass transport mechanisms in ceme nt-based materials are discussed. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.