Diffusion of protons in silica hydrogel

Abstract

The effect of preparation pH of silica hydrogel on the effective diffusion coefficient of protons in silica hydrogel (De, m2/s), on surface area of silica gel (S, m2/s) and on particle size of silica gel (Dp, mm) was studied. Silica hydrosols were obtained by adding water glass to sulfuric acid. The effective diffusion coefficient of proton in silica hydrogel was determined by the method of diffusion from silica hydrogel plane sheet to a stirred solution of a limited volume. A numerical solution was obtained for the diffusion equation using the Regula Falsi method. Regression analyses of experimental data were conducted.