Non-Destructive Testing for the In Situ Assessment of the Ionic Flux in Cementitious Materials

The study deals with the design, calibration and testing of a diffusive sampling probe for in situ assessment of ion mobility in binder-based matrix. In parallel, leaching texts were conducted to compare the ions release obtained under equilibrium condition with the dynamic flux induced by the diffusive sampling probe. The probe contains an ionic exchange resin that acts as sink, causing a re-supply of ions from the solid to the solution phase, and inducing diffusion fluxes from the mortar through a thin diffusion chamber. The flux depends on the quantity of mobile ions in the solid phase and on the exchanging rate from solid phase to solution. By means of the in situ sampling with this diffusive probe, information about the interaction of materials with the environment can be obtained. This information is very useful for the environmental impact assessment of the material and its durability.