An early history of electrodialysis with permselective membranes

This paper outlines the main stages in the history of electrodialysis, from the discovery of the method in 1890 to the development of the fundamental principles of matter-separation and chemical conversions. The evolution of electrodialysis is closely bonded to the birth of the concept considering the presence of fixed charges and mobile counter-ions in ion exchange membranes. The main and basic role of the idea about alternating anion exchange membranes and cation exchange membranes in multi-compartment apparatus (1940) has been described here. Attention has been devoted as well to the synthesis of anion-permeable membranes from anion exchange resins and cation-permeable membranes from cation exchange resins (1950). An analysis of the results of the early applications of electrodialysis which has received much development in the past years, has been also presented.