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In this study, with the consideration of pore size distribution and tortuosity of capillaries, the analytical model for gas diffusivity of porous nanofibers is derived based on fractal theory. The proposed fractal model for the normalized gas diffusivity (D_e/D₀) is found to be a function of the porosity, the area fractal dimensions of pore and the fractal dimension of tortuous capillaries. It is found that the normalized gas diffusivity decreases with increasing of the tortuosity fractal dimension. However, the normalized gas diffusivity is positively correlated with the porosity. The prediction of the proposed fractal model for porous nanofibers with porosity less than 0.75 is highly consistent with the experimental and analytical results found in the literature. The model predictions are compared with the previously reported experimental data, and are in good agreement between the model predictions and experimental data is found. The validity of the present model is thus verified. Every parameter of the proposed formula of calculating the normalized gas diffusivity has clear physical meaning. The proposed fractal model can reveal the physical mechanisms of gas diffusion in porous nanofibers.

In this study, the analytical expressions for the hydraulic permeability and Kozeny–Carman (KC) constant of porous nanofibers are derived based on fractal theory. In the present approach, the permeability is explicitly related to the porosity and the area fractal dimensions of porous nanofibers. The proposed fractal models for KC constant is also found to be a function of the microstructural parameters (porosity, area fractal dimensions). Besides, the present model clearly indicates that KC constant is not a constant and increases with porosity. However, KC constant is close to a constant value which is 18 for ϕ > 0.8. Every parameter of the proposed formulas of calculating permeability and KC constant has clear physical meaning. The model predictions are compared with the existing experimental data, and fair agreement between the model predictions and experimental data is found for different porosities.

Fractal model of gas diffusion in porous nanofibers with rough surfaces is derived, in which the porous structure is assumed to be composed of a bundle of tortuous capillaries whose pore size distribution and surface roughness follow the fractal scaling laws. The analytical expression for gas relative diffusion coefficient is a function of the relative roughness and the other microstructural parameters (porosity, the fractal dimension for pore size distribution and tortuosity, the maximum and minimum pore diameter and the characteristic length). The proposed fractal model is validated by comparison with available experimental data and correlations. At the same time, the effect of microstructural parameters of porous fibrous materials on gas diffusion has been studied in detail. It is believed that the current model may be extended to porous materials other than fibrous materials.