Electrochemical Properties of Ultrafiltration and Nanofiltration Membranes in Solutions of Sodium and Calcium Chloride

Abstract

Ultrafiltration and nanofiltration membranes that are traditionally used in baromembrane processes have become increasingly frequently applied in electromembrane and baroelectromembrane processes. In the latter case, two driving forces, an electric field and a pressure gradient, are simultaneously used. This study presents data on the specific electrical conductivity, diffusion permeability, and transport numbers of ions as well as current–voltage characteristics and chronopotentiograms of AMN-P and OPMN-P weakly ionized nanofiltration membranes and a number of track membranes in solutions of NaCl and CaCl2. The relationship of obtained characteristics with the structure and exchange capacity of membranes is discussed. It is shown that both nanofiltration and track membranes can exhibit a quite high selectivity towards the electrical transport of ions with a certain charge sign. Such selectivity is especially high in respect of the transport of Ca2+ ions. In the case of an AMN-P membrane, the transport number of Ca2+ reaches 0.98, while it is noticeably lower for Na+ ions. This result correlates well with a known fact about a higher rejection coefficient of doubly charged ions in comparison with singly charged ions in baromembrane processes. Track membrane #115 is also distinguished by high selectivity in respect of cations, the transport number of sodium ions in it is close to 0.96.