Simulation of Cation Transport through Cation-exchange Membranes in Electrodialysis System Containing Multi-component Ions

Abstract

In this study, we developed a simulation method for cation transport through cation-exchange membranes in an electrodialysis （ED） system containing 9 kinds of ions （Na^＋, K^＋, Mg^2＋, Ca^2＋, Sr^2＋, Cl^－, Br^－, HCO₃^－, SO₄2^－） by using ionic mobility derived from the modified Mackie and Meares’ theory. In order to confirm the validity of the simulation, we also conducted ED experiments using standard commercial IEMs. As a result, the measured values and the simulations agreed quantitatively with each other, even in the multi-component ion system. The simulation will help in the prediction of optimal ED operation conditions to reduce the running cost and/or to increase product purity.