Water and Solute Distributions near an Ice Lens in a Glass-Powder Medium Saturated with Sodium Chloride Solution under Unidirectional Freezing

Water and solute distributions near ice lenses, which were formed in uniformly sized glass powder saturated with sodium chloride solution at various concentrations under unidirectional freezing, were measured. At higher initial solute concentrations, ice lenses were thinner and developed at lower temperatures. In the warmer adjacent region, extending about 30 mm from the growing ice lens into the unfrozen area, the water content and solute concentration of pore water decreased from their initial values, while in other unfrozen areas the initial values were maintained. The water content and solute concentration in the warmer adjacent region increased with increasing initial solute concentration.