Electroosmosis in Ion-Exchange Membranes

Abstract
Application of an electric field to the system, electrolyte solution ⇌ membrane ⇌ electrolyte solution, gives rise to unidirectional flow of solvent phenomenologically called electroosmosis. The volume of this transference depends primarily on membrane water content and the concentration of the electrolyte solution bounding the membrane on either side. For the passage of 1F of electricity, the quantity of electroosmotic flow in dilute solutions is shown by some investigators to be dependent on current density, while others claim it to be independent of current density. Recent measurements indicate that membranes with low water contents (less than about 14%) produce water flows independent of current density, while those with higher water contents show current dependence. However, at external concentration greater than 0.1N, the current dependence of water flow disappears and the flow decreases with increase in external concentration. These results and others are discussed in terms of existing theories of electroosmosis in charged membranes.