On the closed solution of a problem coupling fluid infiltration with a hydration reaction

We present a one-dimensional model for water infiltration coupled with a hydration reaction, relevant to coupled transport and chemical processes in the Earth’s subsurface. In this model the sharp interface separating the saturated and dry regions evolves over time, leading to a moving free boundary problem. Consistent with recently presented numerical treatments in the literature, this solution indicates an interesting dynamic for the free boundary. At early time, for a given domain porosity, the infiltration front advances with a specific square-root-in-time behavior. At later time, depending on the consumption of the hydration reaction, the front advance can exhibit square-root, linear, or exponential forms. The presented closed solution provides an analytical tool that can be used to quantify important behavior in coupled transport and reaction systems.