New method and installation for rapid determination of radon diffusion coefficient in various materials

J Environ Radioact. 2014 Apr:130:7-14. doi: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2013.12.010. Epub 2014 Jan 9.

Abstract

The mathematical apparatus and the experimental installation for the rapid determination of radon diffusion coefficient in various materials are developed. The single test lasts not longer than 18 h and allows testing numerous materials, such as gaseous and liquid media, as well as soil, concrete and radon-proof membranes, in which diffusion coefficient of radon may vary in an extremely wide range, from 1·10(-12) to 5·10(-5) m(2)/s. The uncertainty of radon diffusion coefficient estimation depends on the permeability of the sample and varies from about 5% (for the most permeable materials) to 40% (for less permeable materials, such as radon-proof membranes).

Keywords: Building materials; Calculation; Diffusion coefficient; Measurements; Radon; Radon-proof membranes.

MeSH terms

  • Air Pollutants, Radioactive / analysis*
  • Air Pollution, Indoor / analysis*
  • Construction Materials / analysis*
  • Diffusion
  • Models, Theoretical
  • Radiation Monitoring / instrumentation
  • Radiation Monitoring / methods*
  • Radon / analysis*
  • Soil Pollutants / analysis*

Substances

  • Air Pollutants, Radioactive
  • Soil Pollutants
  • Radon