University questions-- unit -5

1. Explain the following:

a. Types of Adsorption.
b. Preparation and application of any two adsorbents.
c. Ion exchange

2. Distinguish between physical and chemical adsorption?(dec-13)

3. Write briefly about fixed and moving bed adsorbers? (dec-13)

4. Derive the number of stages for a countercurrent multistage adsorption process?

5. Discuss the following:

a) Foam separation. ®
b) Liquid membranes. ®
c) Thermal diffusion. ®
d) Sweep diffusion

6. Discuss the following processes in detail.

a) Reverse osmosis. ®
b) Electrodialysis. ®
c) Dialysis

7. Explain any two membrane separation processes and their applications

8. Discuss the demineralization process by ion-exchange operation with neat flow diagram.

9. A countercurrent adsorber uses silica gel for adsorbing N0 2 from a dilute mixture with air.
Gas enters the adsorber at the rate of 0.126 kg/sec containing 1.5% N0 2 by volume and 90%
of N02 is removed. The entering' silica gel is free from N0 2. The operation is to be isothermal
at 250 C. at 1 at atm.
(i) Calculate the minimum weight of gel required per hour
ii) For twice the minimum gel rate calculate the number of trays required.
The following equilibrium data is given.
Partial pressure of NO2mmHg. 0 2 4 6 8 10 12
Kg NO2/100 kg gel 0 0.4 0.9 1.65 2.6 3.65 4.85
 UNIT -5

ADSORPTION & OTHER SEPARATION PROCESS

Adsorption
In adsorption processes for separating gaseous or liquid mixtures, the fluid is contacted with
small particles of a porous solid which selectively adsorbs or complexes with certain
components of the feed.
Desorption- The reverse of this operation is called desorption.
Example: Adsorption of CO2 using activated carbon, removal of moisture from air by silica
gel.

Adsorbent: The solid substance

Adsorbate: The adsorbed substance is called Adsorbate.

Types of adsorption
1. Physi-sorption (Vander waals adsorption )
2. Chemisorptions (activated adsorption)

Physisorption

1. Physi-adsorption or van der Waals adsorption is a readily reversible phenomenon,

which result from the intermolecular forces of attraction between a solid and the
substance adsorbed

2. Industrial adsorption operations of the type we shall consider depend upon this
reversibility for recovery of the adsorbent for reuse, for recovery of the adsorbed
substance, or the fractionation of mixtures.

3. Reversible adsorption is not confined to gases but is observed with liquids as well.

Chemisorptions

1. Chemi-sorption or activated adsorption is the result of chemical interaction between

the solid and the adsorbed substance.
2. The heat liberated during chemi-sorption is usually large, of the order of the heat of
chemical reaction.
3. The process is frequently irreversible, and on desorption the original substance will
often be found to have undergone a chemical change.
4. Chemi-sorption is of particular importance in catalysis

Adsorption process
1. The following water treatment process is considered as example of adsorption
separation.
2. In this process contaminated water gets treated with activated carbon and finally gets
treated water.
3. Contaminated water is pre-filtered by particulate filter and pumped into adsorption
column, sprayed over the carbon bed.
 4. The water start to flow downwards via bed and impurities gets adsorbed by activated
carbon.
5. The treated water gets bottom of the column and spent carbon is regenerated.

Adsorption Isotherm

A. Freundlich, Isotherm

B. Langmuir Isotherm

1. The process of Adsorption is usually studied through graphs know as adsorption

isotherm.
2. It is the graph between the amounts of adsorbate (x) adsorbed on the surface of
adsorbent (m) and pressure at constant temperature.
3. Different adsorption isotherms have been Freundlich, Langmuir and BET theory.
4. In the process of adsorption, adsorbate gets adsorbed on adsorbent.

Basic Adsorption Isother.

Types of Adsorption Equipment

The two different design implementations are

A. Fixed bed absorbers
B. Fluidized-bed absorbers.

1. Fixed-bed absorbers

.
 Fixed bed

2. Fluidized-bed adsorption
Fluidized-bed

Characteristics of adsorbents

Characteristics desirable in an adsorbent include:

1. High selectivity
2. High capacity
3. Chemical and thermal stability
4. Relatively low cost
5. Size should be 0.5mm to 12mm
6. Stable in size and shape

Selection Considerations-Choice of adsorbents

When selecting adsorption equipment, the primary considerations are selectivity, capacity,
and regeneration.
 i. Selectivity - Highly selective adsorbents will only capture certain types of particles,
making them suited for filtering out specific contaminants from a product stream.

ii. Capacity - It is the amount of contaminant adsorption equipment can capture before
the adsorbent is saturated and requires renewal.

iii. Regeneration --It is the ability of the adsorbent in the system to be reused.

Factors affecting adsorption

1. Temperature

i. Adsorption increases at low temperature conditions.

2. Pressure

i. As depicted by Adsorption Isotherm, with the increases in pressure, adsorption

increases up to a certain extent till saturation level is achieved.

3. Surface Area

Adsorption is a surface phenomenon therefore it increases with increase in surface

area.

4. Activation

i. Activation of adsorbent surface is done so as to provide more number of

vacant sites on surface of adsorbent. .
5. pH
i. In general, adsorption of typical organic pollutant from water is increased with
decreasing pH.

Single Stage contact Adsorption )

Stage-1
SS x0 (adsorbent)

Solution to be treated LS , y1
LS, y0

SS, x1
Here the solution to be treated consists of adsorbate solute (c) in the solvent (A) .It is
contacted with adsorbent (B) either in batch or continuous manner
The amount of adsorbate used is very small in comparison with solution only solute
(c) is adsorbed and adsorbent is insoluble in the solution
 1. Let LS be Mass of solvent (batch or mass of solvent /time (for continuous operation in
the solution to be treated ))
2. Let SS be the Mass of adsorbent added to the stage
3. Let y0 be the Adsorbable solute concentration in the solution to be treated
4. Let y1 be the Adsorbable solute concentration in the solution leaving the stage
5. Let xO be the soluble concentration in adsorbent added
6. Let x1 be the soluble concentration in adsorbent leaving the stage
material balance of solute:
Solute removed from the solution = Solute picked up by the solid
LS ( y0- y1 ) = SS ( x1- x0 ) ---------------1
( y0- y1 ) / ( x0- x1 ) = SS / LS -----------2
This equation is operating line equation. On X-Y Co-ordinates equation 2 is a straight line of
slope - SS / LS , passing through points P( x0, y0 ) and Q(x1, y1)
If the Freundlish equation is applicable then the Freundlich adsorption isotherm in terms of
concentration used here is
y *= mxn --------------3
At the final equilibrium condition s
y1= mx1n
1/n
x1 = [ y1 / m ] -----------------4
Substituting x1 from eq 4 in eq 2
( y0- y1 ) / ( x0- x1 )1/n = -SS / LS ---------5
Initially, x0 =0,
( y0- y1 ) / ( y1 / m) 1/n = SS / LS -------------6
With the help of eq 6 we can calculate the adsorbent to solution ratio for a given change in
solution ratio a given change in solution concentration y0 to y1
The freundlich adsorption isotherm is a straight lines for n=1 concave down for n<1 and
concave upward for n>1

Multi stage cross current adsorption operation

SS1 , x0 (adsorbent) SS2, x0 (adsorbent)

Solution to be treated LS , y1 LS , y2
LS, y0
SS1, x1 SS2, x2
Stage-1 LS ( y0- y1 ) = SS1 ( x1- x0 ) ---------------1
Stage-2 LS ( y1- y0 ) = SS2 ( x2- x0 ) ---------------2
The operating line for stage -1 having slope of -S S / LS passes through points P(x0, y0) and
Q(x y )
1, 1

If the amount of adsorbent used in each stage is equal then the operating lines will be parallel
to each other
For fresh adsorbent used in each stage x0 = 0
The eq 1 & 2 becomes LS ( y0- y1 ) = SS1 x1
LS ( y1- y0 ) = SS2 x2

SS1/ LS = ( y0- y1 ) / x1 -----------------------3

SS2/ LS = ( y1- y2 ) / x2 -----------------------4

If the Freundlish equation is applicable then the Freundlich adsorption isotherm in terms of
concentration used in two stage adsorption is
y *= mxn
At the Stage -1 equilibrium condition s
y1= mx1n
x1 = [ y1 / m ] 1/n -----------------5
At the Stage -2 equilibrium condition s
x2 = [ y2 / m ] 1/n -----------------6
sub x1, and x2 value in eq 3 and 4
SS1/ LS = ( y0- y1 ) / [ y1 / m ] 1/n -------7

SS2/ LS = ( y1- y2 ) / [ y2 / m ] 1/n -------8

The total amount of adsorbent used is

[ SS1 + SS2 / LS ] = [ ( y0- y1 ) / [ y1 / m ] 1/n ] +[ ( y1- y2 ) / [ y2 / m ] 1/n ] ------9

[ SS1 + SS2 / LS ] = m 1/n [ ( y0- y1 ) / [ y1 1/n ] +[ ( y1- y2 ) / [ y2 1/n ]----------10

d[ SS1 + SS2 / LS ] / dy1 = 0 ---------------11

In this case m, n, y0 y2are constants Differentiating eq 10 with respect to y1

d[ SS1 + SS2 / LS ] / dy1 = m 1/n [ ( y0 /[ y1 1/n) - y1 1/n ] +[ ( y1 / y2 1/n ) - y2 1/n ]

From equation 11

0 = m 1/n [ y0 (-1/n) y1 -1/n) - (1-1/n) y1 (1-1/n-1) ] +[ (1/ y2 1/n )]

Multiplying terms y1 1/n and rearrange

y y1 -1/n) - (1-1/n) y1 (1-1/n-1) ] +[ (1/ y2 1/n )]

PROBLEM

(1) A countercurrent adsorber uses silica gel for adsorbing N0 2 from a dilute mixture with air.
Gas enters the adsorber at the rate of 0.126 kg/sec containing 1.5% N0 2 by volume and 90%
of N02 is removed. The entering' silica gel is free from N0 2. The operation is to be isothermal
at 250 C. at 1 at atm.
(i) Calculate the minimum weight of gel required per hour
ii) For twice the minimum gel rate calculate the number of trays required.
The following equilibrium data is given.
Partial pressure of NO2mmHg. 0 2 4 6 8 10 12
Kg NO2/100 kg gel 0 0.4 0.9 1.65 2.6 3.65 4.85
Solution
Entering gas rate : 450 kg/hr = 0.126 kg/s
No2present : 1.5 % by volume
Temperature: 1 std. atm.

Partial pressure of 0 2 4 6 8 10 12
NO2mmHg.

Kg NO2/100 kg gel 0 0.4 0.9 1.65 2.6 3.65 4.85

Kg NO2/100 kg gel 0 0.004 0.009 0.0165 0.026 0.0365 0.0485

(pp No2/pp air) x 0 0.0042 0.00844 0.01269 0.01697 0.02127 0.0256
(46/28.84)Y,(kg/kg)
Yin = 1.5%

Yin= (kg/kg) = x = 0.0243

Gs = 450 (1- 0.0237) = 439.3 kg/hr
90% of No2 is to be recovered

Yout= x = 0.00243

= = 0.667

Weight of absorbent required ,Ls = 0.667 x 439.3 = 291.1 kg/hr

Number of stages needed for twice the absorbent rate

= =1.334

No .of stage =3
2.A solution of washed raw sugar, 48% sucrose by weight, the coloured by the presence of
small quantities of impurities it is to be de colourized at ,80°C, by treatment with an
adsorptive carbon in a contract filtration plant. The original solution has a colour
concentration of 20 measures on an arbitrary scale and desired to reduce to colour to 2.5% of
its original value.

Equ. data,

Kg carbon/Kg dry sugar: o 0.005 0.01 0.015 0.02 0.03

Colour removal percentage: o 47 70 83 90 95

Calculate the dosage of fresh carbon per 1000 kg of solution for a single stage, two stages
cross current process and two stage counter current

Solution
Feed solution contains 48% sucrose

Feed is ( x0, y0) = ( 0,20)

Final product is to have 2.5% original colour, i,e. 0.5 unit =y1

= =- = -0.0195

Ls = Gs x 0.0195 = 19.5 kg

(ii) the operating line is fixed by trial and for exactly two stages

= = 6.142 x 10-3

Ls = 6.142 kg
Typical applications of commercial adsorbents

S.No Adsorbent Applications

Drying of gases, refrigerants, organic solvents, transformer oils
1 Silica Gel
Dew point control of natural gas
Drying of gases, organic solvents, transformer oils
2 Activated Alumina Removal of HCl from hydrogen
Removal of fluorine in alkylation process

Nitrogen from air

3 Carbons
Hydrogen from synthesis gas
Ethane from methane and hydrogen
Removal of odors from gases
Clean-up of nuclear off-gases
Water purification De-colorizing of sugar solutions, chemicals,
drugs, refining of vegetable and animal oils

Oxygen from air

4 Zeolites
Purification of hydrogen
Separation of ammonia and hydrogen
Recovery of carbon dioxide
Separation of oxygen and argon
Pollution control, including removal of Hg, NOX and SOX
Recovery of fructose from corn syrup

Water purification
Recovery and purification of steroids, amino acids
Separation of fatty acids from water and toluene
5 Polymers & Resins
Removal of colours from syrups
Removal of organics from Hydrogen peroxide

Treatment of edible oils

6 Clay Refining of mineral oils
Removal of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)

7 Fuller’s earth De-colorizing, Drying of lubricating oils, Kerosene and engine

oils
8 Bauxite De-colorizing petroleum products and for drying gases

Used for refining sugar and can be reused after washing and
9 Bone-char burning

Dehydration of gases and liquids, and separation of gas-liquid

10 Molecular sieves hydrocarbon mixture
 OTHER SEPARATION PROCESS

Thermal Diffusion

Definition of Thermal Diffusion

1. An effect wherein a temperature gradient in a gaseous or liquid mixture tends to cause

a separation of the heavy components from the light
2. The transport of the components of gaseous mixtures or solutions when subjected to a
temperature gradient.
3. If the temperature difference is held constant, thermal diffusion in a mixture will
produce a concentration gradient.
4. The production of such a gradient causes ordinary diffusion. Under steady-state
conditions,
5. when there is no mass flux, ordinary diffusion counterbalances thermal diffusion
6. A concentration difference, which may be utilized for isotope separation.

2.Define sweep diffusion

If a condensable vapor (steam) is allowed to diffuse through a gas mixture, it

carries one of the components along with it, thus making a separation by the operation
known as Sweep diffusion.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ion exchange process
Application examples of ion exchange membrane
1. Production of High Purity Chemicals
2. Production of Ultra Pure Water
3. Food and pharmaceutical
4. Demineralization of Cheese Whey
5. Demineralization of Organic Acids and Amino Acids
6. Demineralization of Natural Extract
7. Demineralization of Poly-saccharide
8. Demineralization and Purification of Pharmaceutical Intermediate
 Foam separation
1. Foam separation is a chemical process which falls into a category of separation
techniques called "Adsorptive bubble separation methods".
2. It is further divided into froth flotation and foam fractionation
3. Continuous Foam Separation is a chemical process closely related to foam
fractionation in which foam is used to separate components of a solution when they
differ in surface activity.
4. In any solution, surface active components tend to adsorb to gas-liquid interfaces
while surface inactive components stay within the bulk solution.
5. When a solution is foamed, the most surface active components collect in the foam
and the foam can be easily extracted.
6. This process is commonly used in large-scale projects such as water waste treatment
due to a continuous gas flow in the solution.
7. Process behind continuous foam separation consists of a column at the top of the
container of solution that is being foamed.
8. Air or a specific gas is dispersed in the solution through a sparger. A collecting
column at the top collects the foam being produced.
9. The collected foam is then collapsed and collected in another container. In the
continuous foam separation process, a continuous gas line is fed into the solution
therefore causing continuous foaming to occur.
10. Continuous foam separation may not be as efficient in separating solutes as opposed
to separating a fixed amount of solution
There are two types of foam that can form from this process.
a. Wet foam
b. Dry foam

Wet foam.
1. Wet foam tends to form at the lower portion of the foam column, while dry foam
tends to form at the upper portion.
2. The wet foam is more spherical and viscous

Dry foam
1. Dry foam tends to be larger in diameter and less viscous.
2. Since the wet foam tends to form near to the surface of the liquid, the dry foam is
usually represented as the foam that most people are used to seeing.
Membrane

1. A membrane may be defined as “an interphase separating two phases and selectively
controlling the transport of materials between those phases”.
2. A membrane is an interphase rather than an interface because it occupies a finite,
though normally small, element of space.

Membrane separation

1. The use of thin barriers (membranes) between miscible fluids for separating a
mixture; a suitable driving force across the membrane,
2. For example concentration or pressure differential, leads to preferential transport of
one or more feed components.
3. Separations of liquids and gases are commonly accomplished using membrane
separation methods
4. Include dialysis, reverse osmosis, and ultrafiltration Hybrid and more exotic
membrane methods that have also proven effective are electrodialysis,
5. The driving force is achieving either by pressure or concentration difference across
the membrane.
Give some advantage of membrane over other process

(a) A higher overall liquid removal rate is achieved by prevention of the formation of
an extensive filter cake.
(b) The process feed remains in the form of a mobile slurry suitable for further
processing.
(c) The solids content of the product slurry may be varied over a wide range.
(d) It may be possible to fractionate particles of different sizes

limitation of membrane processes

The specification and the characteristics of the feed is important in membrane

process, cleaning of membranes at regular interval is necessary, concentration
polarization, membrane fouling are the two usual phenomena in membranes

Types for membrane separation process

Some of the membrane process are

1. Dialysis,
2. Osmosis
3. reverse osmosis,
4. Ultra filtration,
5. Microfiltration
6. Nano filtration
7. Electrodialysis
 Dialysis
1. Dialysis are closely linked to the most important medical use of membranes for the
treatment of renal failure, of haemodialysis.
2. In this process, toxins and body waste are transported, by a concentration gradient, out
of the blood through a membrane into an isotonic salt solution.
3. The membranes used in this case have open pores.
4. In diffusion dialysis, the potential of a concentration difference is also instrumental
for mass transfer but pore-free ion exchange membranes are used in this case.
5. Hence, free strong acids (acid dialysis) can be recovered by using anion exchange
membranes and free strong bases (base dialysis) by using cation exchange
membranes.

Ultra filtration

1. Ultrafiltration (UF) is a membrane separation process, driven by a pressure

gradient, in which the membrane fractionates components of a liquid as a function of
their solvated size and structure
2. Suspended materials and macromolecules can be separated from a waste stream using
a membrane and pressure differential, called Ultrafiltration.
3. This method uses a lower pressure differential than reverse osmosis and doesn't rely
on overcoming osmotic effects.
4. It is useful for dilute solutions of large polymerized macromolecules where the
separation is roughly proportional to the pore size in the membrane selected.
5. Ultrafiltration membranes are commercially fabricated in sheet, capillary and tubular
forms.
6. The liquid to be filtered is forced into the assemblage and dilute permeate passes
perpendicularly through the membrane while concentrate passes out the end of the
media.
 7. This may prove useful for the recovery and recycle of suspended solids and
macromolecules.
8. Ultrafiltration (UF) designates a membrane separation process, driven by a
pressure gradient, in which the membrane fractionates components of a liquid a
function of their solvated size and structure.
9. The membrane configuration is usually cross-flow. In UF, the membrane pore size is
larger allowing some components to pass through the pores with the water.

Microfiltration

1. Microfiltration (MF) designates a membrane separation process similar to UF but

2. with even larger membrane pore size allowing particles in the range of 0.2 to 2
3. Micrometers to pass through.
4. The pressure used is generally lower than that of UF process.
5. The membrane configuration is usually cross-flow.
6. MF is used in the dairy industry for making low-heat sterile milk as proteins may pass
through but bacteria do not.
7. Please click above link for a schematic diagram of these membrane processes.

Nanofiltration

1. Nanofiltration is a membrane separation process whose cut-off lies between

that of reverse osmosis and ultra filtration.
2. The commonly used operating pressure is in the range of 0.3 – 4.0MPa. Cut-
offs are specified as being between 180 and 2000 Dalton.
3. The selectivity of a nanofiltration membrane is determined by two different
parameters. Firstly, retention depends on the compound size i.e. from
molecular weight.
4. As far as nanofiltration membranes are concerned, retention and permeability
are also a function of electric charge and the valence of the salts and
compounds in the solution.
 5. Diluted solutions of monovalent ions can mostly pass through a nanofiltration
membrane unhindered while most of the multi-valent ions (such as sulfate and
carbonate) are retained.
6. As for anions, retention by a nanofiltration membrane increases in the order:
nitrate < chloride < hydroxide < sulfate < carbonate < phosphate. Cation
retention by a nanofiltration membrane increases in the order: proton < sodium
< potassium < calcium < magnesium < copper < iron

Membranes with good chemical resistance are now available for the treatment of acids,
bases and oxidative media, thus making the process suitable for a number of separation
operations:

1. Softening of process, product or drinking water

2. Separation of organic impurities (pesticides, insecticides) in drinking water
treatment
3. Filtration of acids and bases
4. Desalination of organic materials (pharmaceutical industry) in the diafiltration
model
Distinguish between osmosis & reverse osmosis

Osmosis process, the solvent naturally moves from an area of low solute concentration (High
Water Potential), through a membrane, to an area of high solute concentration (Low Water
Potential).
Reverse osmosis is the process of forcing a solvent from a region of high solute concentration
through a semi permeable membrane to a region of low solute concentration by applying a
pressure in excess of the osmotic pressure
--------------------------------------------------------&------------------------------------------------------

Reverse osmosis
1. Reverse osmosis (RO) is a membrane-technology filtration method that removes
many types of large molecules and ions from solutions by applying pressure to the
solution when it is on one side of a selective membrane.
2. The result is that the solute is retained on the pressurized side of the membrane and
the pure solvent is allowed to pass to the other side.
3. To be "selective," this membrane should not allow large molecules or ions through the
pores (holes), but should allow smaller components of the solution to pass freely.
 4. In the normal Osmosis process, the solvent naturally moves from an area of low
solute concentration (High Water Potential), through a membrane, to an area of
high solute concentration (Low Water Potential).
5. The movement of a pure solvent to equalize solute concentrations on each side of a
membrane generates osmotic pressure.
6. Applying an external pressure to reverse the natural flow of pure solvent, thus, is
reverse osmosis.
7. The process is similar to other membrane technology applications.
8. Reverse osmosis involves a diffusive mechanism so that separation efficiency is
dependent on solute concentration, pressure, and water flux rate.
9. Reverse osmosis is most commonly known for its use in drinking water purification
from seawater, removing the salt and other substances from the water molecules.

10. Osmosis is a natural process. When two liquids of different concentration are
separated by a semi permeable membrane, the fluid has a tendency to move from low
to high solute concentrations for chemical potential equilibrium.

11. Formally, Reverse osmosis is the process of forcing a solvent from a region of high
solute concentration through a semi permeable membrane to a region of low
solute concentration by applying a pressure in excess of the osmotic pressure

Applications
1. A reverse osmosis (RO) filter, which is a thin film composite membrane
2. Drinking water purification
3. Water and wastewater purification
4. Food industry
5. Hydrogen production
6. Desalination

Osmosis process,
In the normal Osmosis process, the solvent naturally moves from an area of low solute
concentration (High Water Potential), through a membrane, to an area of high solute
concentration (Low Water Potential

Osmotic pressure
1.
Osmotic pressure is the pressure which needs to be applied to a solution to prevent
the inward flow of water across a semi permeable membrane.

2. It is also defined as the minimum pressure needed to nullify osmosis.

3. The phenomenon of osmotic pressure arises from the tendency of a pure solvent to
move through a semi-permeable membrane and into a solution containing a solute to
which the membrane is impermeable.

Electrodialysis

1. Electro dialysis (ED) is used to transport salt ions from one solution through ion-
exchange membranes to another solution

2. Under the influence of an applied electric potential difference. This is done in a

configuration called an electro dialysis cell.
3. The cell consists of a feed (dilute) compartment and a concentrate (brine)
compartment formed by an anion exchange membrane and a cation exchange
membrane placed between two electrodes.

4. Electro dialysis processes are different compared to distillation techniques and other
membrane based processes (such as reverse osmosis) in that dissolved species are
moved away from the feed stream rather than the reverse.

5. In an electro dialysis stack, the dilute (D) feed stream, brine or concentrate (C)
stream, and electrode (E) stream are allowed to flow through the appropriate cell
compartments formed by the ion exchange membranes.

6. Under the influence of an electrical potential difference, the negatively charged ions
(e.g., chloride) in the dilute stream migrate toward the positively charged anode.

7. These ions pass through the positively charged anion exchange membrane, but are
prevented from further migration toward the anode by the negatively charged cation
exchange membrane and therefore stay in the C stream, which becomes concentrated
with the anions.

8. The positively charged species (e.g., sodium) in the D stream migrate toward the
negatively charged cathode and pass through the negatively charged cation exchange
membrane.
9. These cations also stay in the C stream, prevented from further migration toward the
cathode by the positively charged anion exchange membrane.
10. As a result of the anion and cation migration, electric current flows between the
cathode and anode.

11. Only an equal number of anion and cation charge equivalents are transferred from the
D stream into the C stream and so the charge balance is maintained in each stream.

12. The overall result of the electro dialysis process is an ion concentration increase in the
concentrate stream with a depletion of ions in the dilute solution feed stream see
video.

Applications

1. Pre-demineralization
2. water pretreatment process
3. water desalination process
4. power generation,
5. semiconductor
6. food and beverage processing
7. Agricultural water
8. Glycol desalting
9. Glycerin Purification