Kinetic Transport Coefficients through a Bilayer Ion Exchange Membrane during Electrodiffusion

Abstract

Analytical expressions for the specific coefficients of electrical conductivity and electrodiffusion of a bilayer ion exchange membrane have been obtained in terms of thermodynamics of irreversible processes and the homogeneous model of a fine-pore membrane. The influence of the physicochemical parameters of the modifying layer and the electrolyte concentration on the obtained values of the coefficients at fixed physicochemical characteristics of the substrate has been explored using mathematical modeling. It has been shown that the conductivity and electrodiffusion of the modified membrane increase with increasing the space charge density of the modifying layer when the signs of the space charges of the membrane layers are identical and decrease when they differ or the thickness of the modifying layer increases. With increasing electrolyte concentration, these characteristics of the modified membrane increase regardless of the sign of charges of the membrane layers. The obtained analytical expressions can be used in modeling electromembrane processes and predicting the characteristics of new surface-modified ion exchange membranes.