The electrical responses of two interpolymer ion-exchange (anion
and cation) membranes have been investigated
by chronopotentiometry in dilute solutions of NaCl, KCl, and HCl as
strong electrolytes and a 75:25 mixture
of (1 mM) RCOOH−RCOONa, where R = −H, −CH3,
−CH2CH3,
−CH2CH2CH3, and
−CH(CH3)2 as weak
electrolytes. The behavior of both of these membranes was nearly
ideal in strong electrolytes. The performance
of a cation membrane in weak electrolytes R = −H and
−CH3 was as good as in NaCl/KCl and less
satisfactory
in others. On the other hand, the performance of an anion membrane
in electrolytes R = −H and −CH3 was
nearly identical to that in NaCl/KCl, but it steadily decreased as the
length and size of the alkyl (−R) chain
increased. The poor performance of the anion membrane in higher
homologous carboxylates with R = −CH2CH3,
−CH2CH2CH3, and
−CH(CH3)2 has been attributed to fouling
of the surface by the RCOO− groups
next to the membrane in the interfacial zone on the diluate side and/or
the choking of ion flow channels by
these carboxylate ions on account of a long nonconductive alkyl chain
on them. The parameters such as the
potential drop across the membrane at the outset of each experiment,
Iτ1/2, the permselectivity, and
the
transference number for both types of membranes in strong as well as in
weak electrolytes were measured
and compared. The transport across the anion membrane of
OH- ions from either water autodissociation
or
hydrolysis step of RCOO- groups at the anion membrane
surface was considered in both strong and weak
electrolytes at the above optimum current densities. The fouled
anion membrane was regenerated by rinsing
with distilled water and equilibrating it with a strong electrolyte
solution.