Hydrogen in plastic container m3.

3.7 Hydrogen at a pressure of 2 bar, (2 105 P a)is placed in a plastic con-

tainer with wall thickness d, volume V and surface area A. Hydrogen
dissolves in the plastic. The dissolved concentration on the surface is
proportional to the local hydrogen pressure: CA0 = k 00 C1 . At a pres-
sure of 2 bar the local concentration of dissolved hydrogen on the inside
edge of the wall of the container is CA0 = 3 10−3 kmol m−3 . At the
outside of the container the partial vapor pressure of hydrogen is com-
pletely negligible. There is a concentration gradient of hydrogen in the
plastic and as result of that the hydrogen will diffuse through the wall
to the outside. The container is only permeable for hydrogen, so the air
molecules cannot diffuse from the outside to the inside. The diffusion
coefficient of hydrogen in the plastic is DAB = 8, 7 10−8 m2 s−1 . The
temperature T = 298 K. The wall thickness d = 1 mm. Hydrogen
behaves like an ideal gas. The molar concentration of dissolved hy-
drogen is small, xA << 1. The diffusion process is quasi-stationary.
This means that the decrease of the hydrogen pressure in the vessel is
very slow, compared to the diffusion process in the container wall. In
other words: the molar flux through the plastic can be estimated from
a stationary diffusion process in the wall.

a. Calculate the stationary molar flux of hydrogen through the plas-

tic at the begin pressure of 2 bar.
b. Use this expression for the molar flux to derive a differential equa-
tion for the pressure p(t), (or for the concentration C1 ,) in the
container and give the solution of the differential equation.
c. Calculate how long it takes until the pressure in the container has
decreased 10% .
Given: A = 0, 1 m2 , V = 10−2 m3 .
d. The atmospheric environment pressure (air) of the container is
1 bar. Is it possible that the hydrogen pressure in the container
gets smaller than 1 bar? Motivate your answer.

1
 Answer question 3.7 m3.7

3.7 a. ÑA ' J˜1 = DAB CA0 /d = 2, 6 10−7 kmol m−2 s−1 .
b. Mass conservation gives:
dC1
V = − ÑA A = − CA0 DAB A/d.
dt
00
The concentration CA0 = K C1 , so that

dC1 C1
= − ,
dt τ
or
dp1 p1
= − ,
dt τ
Vd
with τ = k00 DAB A
. solution: C1 (t) = C1t=0 exp(−t/τ ).
00
c. Using the ideal gas law to find the value of k :

pV = nRT
n p
→ C1 = =
V RT
00
→ k = 3, 72 10−2
This gives a time constant of τ = 3, 09 104 s. Solve:
t
0.9 · C1t=0 = C1 (t) = C1t=0 exp− τ
t
→ 0.9 = exp− τ
→ t = 3, 26103 s
After 3, 26103 s the pressure has decreased 10%.
d. The pressure in the container indeed can get lower than the at-
mospheric pressure and will go to zero in absolute sense.