Diffusion of non-swelling gases through dry conifer wood

Summary The conditions under which mutual, Knudsen and transition-range diffusion occur are described, and the corresponding gaseous diffusion coefficients are stated. The coefficient of hindered diffusion through pit membrane pores is shown to be about one third of the mutual diffusion coefficient and not about one thirtieth as postulated by earlier workers. A new longitudinal diffusion equation is developed, and results of a new gas permeability technique are used to derive coefficients for Picea sitchensis and Abies grandis. Only a small proportion of the tracheids is assumed to be conducting, owing to pit aspiration. About 98% of the resistance to longitudinal diffusion is in the tracheid lumina, 1% in the pit apertures and 0.2% in the pit membrane pores. From similar considerations a new tangential diffusion equation is developed, and coefficients are calculated. Roughly 90% of the resistance to tangential diffusion occurs in the pit apertures, 10% in the pit membrane pores and only 0.3% in the tracheid lumina. The agreement between the theoretical and published experimental values is satisfactory. For tangential diffusion the agreement is closer by an order of magnitude than that obtained by earlier workers. The experimentally determined temperature dependence of the diffusion coefficients is shown to be consistent with the above results. A hindered diffusion coefficient of one thirtieth of the mutual coefficient would lead to a temperature dependence not observed experimentally.