This study introduced a novel method to determine the water vapour permeability of composite porous materials. The permeability of a composite material as a combination of porous solid-phase with micropores and gas-phase with macropores in a unit cell of material was evaluated. The method mainly considered element structure models for total porous materials and the density-concentration averaging method for the porous solid phase. Literature comparison results show that the element structure model can clearly reflect the characteristics of permeability variations with porosity. The verification results of literature experiments show that the permeability of composite porous materials can be effectively predicted with an average error 13% when the density-concentration averaging method of porous solid-phase was introduced into the element structure model. For highly porous materials, a higher increase in the porous solid-phase permeability coefficient did not significantly change the overall permeability of the material. The results show that the porous materials with cylindrical and circular truncated cone pores have poor permeability enhancement potential. In general, this study provides a reliable experimental supplement method for determining the water vapour permeability, which can guide the design of new materials, the optimization of building envelope and the simulation of energy consumption in building environment.
AfshariABergsoeNC. Humidity as a control parameter for ventilation. Indoor Built Environ2003; 12: 215–216.
2.
ChenJZhengXSongCQianH. Study on the effect of humidity on formaldehyde emission parameters of wood-based panels. Indoor Built Environ2024; 33: 1087–1099.
3.
JadidiMKaratasAEDworkinSB. Estimating droplet size and count distributions over a prolonged period of time following a cough in indoor environments. Indoor Built Environ2024; 33: 1883–1896.
4.
ItoKTakadaS. Effects of indoor low humidity on eye discomfort and associated physiological responses in soft contact lens and non-lens wearers. Indoor Built Environ2023; 32: 590–602.
5.
TsaiM-JWangS-YYanM-FLinL-D. Assessment of temperature and relative humidity conditioning behavior of interior decorative materials in container under ventilation condition. Indoor Built Environ2008; 17: 146–154.
6.
LiuXLiPChenJJiangPMaiYWHuangX. Hierarchically porous composite fabrics with ultrahigh metal–organic framework loading for zero-energy-consumption heat dissipation. Sci Bull2022; 67: 1991–2000.
7.
WangYLiuKTianYFanYLiuY. The effect of moisture transfer on heat transfer of roof-wall corner hygrothermal bridge structure. Indoor Built Environ2023; 32: 881–901.
8.
ColinartTGlouannecP. Accuracy of water vapor permeability of building materials reassessed by measuring cup’s inner relative humidity. Build Environ2022; 217: 109038.
9.
ZhangLSangGHanW. Effect of hygrothermal behaviour of earth brick on indoor environment in a desert climate. Sustainable Cities and Society2020; 55: 102070.
10.
MudarriDFiskWJ. Public health and economic impact of dampness and mold. Indoor Air2007; 17: 226–235.
11.
ZhouXDesmaraisGCarlSMannesDDeromeDCarmelietJ. Investigation of coupled vapor and heat transport in hygroscopic material during adsorption and desorption. Build Environ2022; 214: 108845.
12.
DuforestelTOubrahimIBelarbiREl HardouzHColmet DaâgeM. Assessment of the water vapor permeability: effect of the total pressure. Int J Heat Mass Transfer2022; 196: 123210.
13.
Ghazi WakiliKFrankT. A humidity dependent vapour retarder in non-ventilated flat roofs.: in situ measurements and numerical analysis. Indoor Built Environ2004; 13: 433–441.
14.
BastienDWinther-GaasvigM. Influence of driving rain and vapour diffusion on the hygrothermal performance of a hygroscopic and permeable building envelope. Energy2018; 164: 288–297.
15.
ItoK. Numerical prediction model for fungal growth coupled with hygrothermal transfer in building materials. Indoor Built Environ2012; 21: 845–856.
16.
LosiniAEGrilletACVoLDotelliGWoloszynM. Biopolymers impact on hygrothermal properties of rammed earth: from material to building scale. Build Environ2023; 233: 110087.
17.
ZhaiXHeZWangRLuSZhangL. Multi-objective optimization of building envelope of rural housing in the severely cold region of China based on energy consumption, thermal comfort and cost-effectiveness. Indoor Built Environ2024; 34: 627–643.
18.
ImafidonOJTingDSK. Retrofitting buildings with phase change materials (PCM) – the effects of PCM location and climatic condition. Build Environ2023; 236: 110224.
19.
FukuiKTakadaS. Potential errors and improvements in estimating the humidity dependency of vapor permeability using average humidity during cup tests. J Buil Eng2023; 71: 106578.
20.
LiuTYuQ. Experimental investigation into the permeability of water vapor in shales. J Hydrol2022; 609: 127697.
21.
DondiMPrincipiPRaimondoMZanariniABG. Water vapour permeability of clay bricks. Constr Build Mater2003; 17: 253–258.
22.
CasnediLCappaiMCincottiADeloguFPiaG. Porosity effects on water vapour permeability in earthen materials: experimental evidence and modelling description. J Build Eng2020; 27: 100987.
23.
PiaG. Fluid flow in complex porous media: experimental data and IFU model predictions for water vapour permeability. J Nat Gas Sci Eng2016; 35: 283–290.
24.
LiGMengLWangJChenGWuXSuQ. Water vapor permeability in heterogeneous porous membranes: analytical modeling and experimental characterization. Int Commun Heat Mass Transfer2023; 147: 106950.
25.
XiaoTYangXHoomanKLuTJ. Analytical fractal models for permeability and conductivity of open-cell metallic foams. Int J Heat Mass Transfer2021; 177: 121509.
26.
StaziAD’OrazioMQuagliariniE. In-life prediction of hygrometric behaviour of buildings materials: an application of fractal geometry to the determination of adsorption and suction properties. Build Environ2002; 37: 733–739.
27.
LiKQKangQNieJYHuangXW. Artificial neural network for predicting the thermal conductivity of soils based on a systematic database. Geothermics2022; 103: 102416.
28.
MilyaniAHKarimiMAlizadehANasajpour-EsfahaniNAbu-HamdehNHHekmatifarMShamsborhanM. Utilizing different machine learning methods to accurately predict density, temperature, velocity, and thermal conductivity of hydrophilic, hydrophobic, and compound materials. J Mol Liq2023; 387: 122625.
29.
MontazerianAArve ØverliJGoutianosS. Thermal conductivity of cementitious composites reinforced with graphene-based materials: an integrated approach combining machine learning with computational micromechanics. Constr Build Mater2023; 395: 132293.
30.
KhushefatiWHDemirboğaRFarhanKZ. Assessment of factors impacting thermal conductivity of cementitious composites — A review. Cleaner Materials2022; 5: 100127.
31.
EL AssaadMColinartTLecompteT. Thermal conductivity assessment of moist building insulation material using a heat flow meter apparatus. Build Environ2023; 234: 110184.
32.
LiuHZhaoX.Thermal conductivity analysis of high porosity structures with open and closed pores. Int J Heat Mass Transfer2022; 183:122089..
33.
PlacidoEArduini-SchusterMCKuhnJ. Thermal properties predictive model for insulating foams. Infrared Phys Technol2005; 46: 219–231.
PaivaR de LMdos SantosDOJde AguiarALDGomesBM da CBezerraCGHasparykNPFilhoRDT. Influence of bio-aggregates on the physical and hygrothermal properties of bio-concretes. Constr Build Mater2024; 456:139218.
39.
da GloriaMYRToledo FilhoRD. Innovative sandwich panels made of wood bio-concrete and sisal fiber reinforced cement composites. Constr Build Mater2021; 272: 121636.
40.
TsivilisSTsantilasJKakaliGChaniotakisESakellariouA. The permeability of Portland limestone cement concrete. Cem Concr Res2003; 33: 1465–1471.
41.
HuangPLatifEChangWSAnsellMPLawrenceM. Water vapour diffusion resistance factor of Phyllostachys edulis (Moso bamboo). Constr Build Mater2017; 141: 216–221.
42.
KainGLienbacherBBarbuMCSenckSPetutschniggA. Water vapour diffusion resistance of larch (Larix decidua) bark insulation panels and application considerations based on numeric modelling. Constr Build Mater2018; 164: 308–316.
43.
BurattiCBelloniEMerliF.Water vapour permeability of innovative building materials from different waste. Mater Lett2020; 265: 127459.
