On ions transport during drying in a porous medium

Salt crystallisation at the surface or in a porous medium has been recognised as a major mechanism of deterioration of buildings and historical monuments. Often crystallisation occurs when the concentration of salt dissolved in the water contained in the porous medium reaches the saturation concentration as the result of evaporation. In order to predict the evolution of the ion distribution during drying, we develop a simple volume averaged model combining a semi-analytical model of drying with the numerical computation of the ions transport. The model is used to analyse the influence of the drying rate, size of the porous medium, average pore size and initial ion concentration on the ion distribution during drying and therefore the possible location of crystallisation.