PROTON TRANSPORT WITHIN A PERFLUOROSULFONIC ACID MEMBRANE BETWEEN AQUEOUS ANOLYTE AND ORGANIC CATHOLYTE

Proton transport within a perfluorosulfonic acid membrane between an aqueous anolyte and an organic catholyte was studied theoretically and experimentally. A mathematical model for ion transport within the perfluorosulfonic acid membrane was developed. Based on the Nernst-Planck equation, transport of ions by the combination of diffusion, migration and convection was described. The experimental results reveal that the relationship between current density and cell voltage in the steady state is linear. Theoretical analysis correlated well with the experimental results. The linear relationship indicates that the method of ion transport in an organic/aqueous spe system is similar to that in an aqueous system. The main difference between the aqueous and organic/aqueous systems is that the diffusion coefficient of a proton, D1, is smaller and the resistance parameter, rho0epsilon, is larger than in an aqueous system.