Electrokinetic characterization of a microporous non-commercial polysulfone membrane: phenomenological coefficients and transport parameters

Electrical and electrokinetic phenomena (electrical resistance, streaming potential and membrane potential) in a porous polysulfone membrane was studied in the framework. of the linear thermodynamics of irreversible processes and the phenomenological coefficients were determined for different concentrations of NaCl and MgCl2 solutions (10(-3) M < 5 x 10(-2) M). From experimental values, other characteristic membrane parameters such as the concentration of fixed charge in the membrane (<X> = -3 x 10(-3) M), the ionic transport numbers and permeabilities through the membrane (t(Na+) = 0.392 and t(Mg+2) = 0.363; P(Na+) = 3.5 x 10(-8) m/sec and P(Mg+2) = 2.9 x 10(-8) m/sec) were also obtained. Membrane surface-electrolyte solution interface was characterized by zeta potential values. The effect of both salt concentration and pH on zeta potential results was also studied. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.