Membrane phenomena in dilute electrolytes

Abstract

The self-consistent description of membrane effects at the “pure water–dilute weak electrolyte” boundary is proposed. The approach is based on a modification of the well-known statistics of electrolytes, governed by ionic equilibrium taking in terms of dissociation constants: Kaq (ionic product of water) and Kd (dissociation constant in Oswald’s law for diluting weak electrolytes). The formalism makes it possible to treat membrane effects in electrolytes based on the description of contact phenomena near the interface between two conducting media. In particular, it is possible to relate the membrane characteristics of the “pure water–dilute acetic acid solution” contact with the dissociation constants Kaq and Kd.