a-c electrical properties of bipolar membranes: Experiments and a model

Summary The a-c electrical properties of bipolar membranes separating equal strength solutions of the same uni-univalent electrolyte are analyzed for the case where both ions have equal mobilities. Two membrane models are treated. In one, the fixed-charge density is assumed to be constant throughout the membrane. In the other, the membrane is regarded as comprising an array of pores separated by walls through which the fixed charge is spread uniformly. Experimental results are reported for the a-c electrical properties of a bipolar membrane prepared from a single polyolephine sheet and immersed in KCl solutions of various concentrations. It is found that the data can be interpreted using the pore model.