Process Separation

Electrodialysis

Presented to : Dr. Shah Muhammad

L/O/G/O
 Presented By:

Sohail Aziz – 2011-MS-CH-65

L/O/G/O
Contents
• Separation
• Membrane Separation
Separation
• Mass Transfer process used to convert a mixture of
substances into two or more distinct product mixtures.

• At least one of which is enriched in one or more of the

mixture's constituents.

• Based on differences in chemical and physical properties

such as size, shape, mass, concentration, chemical
affinity, volatility etc.
Membrane Separation
Membrane ??

•Latin word membrana, means skin.

•Interphase between two phases.

Interphase rather interface
(Because it occupies a finite, though normally small,
element of space.)
Types of Membranes
• Natural Membranes
(e.g. Human skin)

• Synthetic Membranes

Newer technology in 1960s

Ambient temperature operation
Relatively low capital and running costs
Modular construction
Process
• Equilibrium Separation
(Conventional separation such as evaporation, distillation,
adsorption, is based on equilibrium distribution)

• Rate Governed Separation

(Based on the differences in transport rate through some
medium under the influence of a driving force resulting
from a gradient in pressure, concentration, temperature
or electric field)
Cont.
• the simplified diagram of a stirred cell membrane system
Basic Principal
Classification
Pressure Driven Membrane Processes
• Reverse Osmosis (RO)
• Nanofiltration (NF)
• Ultrafiltration (UF)
• Microfiltration (MF)
• Pervaporation (PV)
• Membrane gas Separation

Concentration Driven Membrane Separation Processes

• Dialysis
• Membrane Extraction

Electric Potential Membrane Separation Processes

• Electrodialysis (ED)

Temperature Difference:
• Membrane Distillation
Electrodialysis
• Early 1950s

• Electrochemical Process

• Electrically driven membrane separation process

• Production of drinking water by the desalination of sea-

water or brackish water
Principle

•Anions move towards anode

•Cations move towards cathode

• Cation exchange membranes let cations through and block

anions
•Anion exchange membranes let anions go through and block
cations

• Electroneutrality
Cont.
Electrodialysis model
• Principle of electrodialysis is a stack of alternating cation
and anion exchange membranes

Model:
A tower block with
alternating red and blue
floors, filled with people
Looking down,
you may see
either blue or red floors.
Cont.
• Yellow: go up! Do not
pass blue ceiling!

• Green: go down! Do
not pass red floor!
Apply Rules
• All have moved until the blocking rule apply
• Result is: blocking rule apply in each second floor

Note: We ignored the

Electroneutrality, for instance.
An ED Stack Scheme
Process
At Cathode
•Cations (Na+) attraction
•Pairs of water molecules break down (dissociate) at the cathode to produce
two hydroxyl (OH–) ions plus hydrogen gas (H2). Hydroxide raises the pH of the
water, causing calcium carbonate (CaCO3) precipitation.

At Anode
•Anions (Cl–) attraction
•Pairs of water molecules dissociate at the anode to produce four hydrogen
ions (H+), one molecule of oxygen (O2), and four electrons (e–). The acid tends
to dissolve any calcium carbonate present to inhibit scaling.
•Chlorine gas (Cl2) may be formed.
Complementary Elements
1. Direct current supply, which proves effective to reinforce ion
migration;
2. Electrodes, where the oxidation/reduction reactions occur to
realize the transformation from ionic conduction to electron
conduction and thus provide the original driving force for ion
migration;
3. Ion exchange membranes, the key components which permit
the transport of counter ions and block the passage of co-
ions;
4. Solvents, which make a continuum for ion transport by filling
the space between electrodes and membranes;
5. Electrolytes, the current carriers between cathode and anode.
Concentration Polarization
• Ions are depleted on one side of the membrane and enriched on the other.

• The ions leaving a membrane diffuse through a boundary layer into the
concentrate, so the concentration of ions will be higher at the membrane surface.

• while the ions entering a membrane diffuse through a boundary layer from the
diluate.

• So the bulk concentration in the diluate must be higher than it is at the

membrane.

• These effects occur because the transport number of counter-ions in the

membrane is always very much higher than their transport number in the
solution.

• Where the transport numbers the same, the boundary layer effects would vanish.
Cont.
Transfer of Ions
• Mass transfer of ions in ED is described by many
electrochemical equations

• If temperature, the flux of individual components, electro-

osmotic effects, streaming potential and other indirect
effects are minor

Jn = CmnUmn Δϕ/Δx

J is the component flux through the membrane, (kmol/m2⋅s)

Cmn is the concentration in phase m of component n, ( kmol/m3 )
Umn is the ion mobility of n in m, (m2/v⋅s)
ϕ is the electrical potential, volts, and x is distance, (m)
Cont.
Assuming the transfer of electrical charges is due to the transfer of ions.

• i is the current density, (amperes/m2)

• F is the Faraday constant and
• z is the valence

•The transport number, T, is the ratio of the current carried by an ion to the
current carried by all ions
•The transport number is a measure of the permselectivity of a membrane
•for example, a membrane is devoid of coions, then all current through the
membrane is carried by the counter-ion, and the transport number = 1
Design considerations
• Membrane stacks
• Spacers
• Electrodes
• Peripheral Components
• Pretreatment
• Energy Requirements
Membrane stacks
A cell pair consists of the following:
•Anion permeable membrane
•Concentrate spacer
•Cation permeable membrane
•Dilute stream spacer
Cont.
Spacers
• Flow paths of the demineralized and concentrated
streams formed by plastic separators.

• Demineralized water flow spacers

• Concentrate water flow spacers
• Electrode spacers

• Made of polypropylene or low density polyethylene and

are alternately positioned between membranes in the
stack to create independent flow path.
Electrodes

• A metal electrode at each end of the membrane stack

conducts DC into the stack.

• Electrode compartments consist of an electrode, an

electrode water-flow spacer, and a heavy cation
membrane.

• Dissolution of metal is avoided by selecting a resistant

material such as Pt, Pt coated on Ti, or Pt on Nb.
Peripheral Components

In addition to the stack

•A power supply, pumps for diluate and concentrate,

instrumentation, tanks for cleaning, and other peripherals
are required. Safety devices are mandatory given the
dangers posed by electricity, hydrogen, and chlorine.
 
Pretreatment

• Feed water is pretreated to remove gross objects that

could plug the stack.

• Additives that inhibit the formation of scale, frequently

acid, may be introduced into the feed.
Energy Requirements
Pump Energy Requirements

• If there is no forced convection within the cells, the polarization limits the
current density to a very uneconomic level.

• Conversely, if the circulation rate is too high, the energy inputs to the pumps
will dominate the energy consumption of the process.

• A rule of thumb for a modern ED stack is that the pumping energy is roughly
0.5 kWh/m3, about the same as is required to remove 1700 mg/lit dissolved
salts.
Equipment and Economics
• A very large electrodialysis plant would produce 500 lit/s of desalted water.

• In 1993 typical plant was built in 1993 to process 4700 m3/day (54.4 lit/s).
• Capital costs for this plant, running on low-salinity brackish feed were
$1,210,000 for all the process equipment, including pumps, membranes,
instrumentation, and so on.

• Building and site preparation cost an additional $600,000.

• The building footprint is 300 m2.
• For plants above a threshold level of about 40 m3/day.

• On this basis, process equipment (excluding the building) for a 2000 m3/day
plant would have a 1993 predicted cost of $665,000.
Cont.
• On the basis of 1000 m3 of product water, the operating cost
elements (as shown in Table) are anticipated to be:
Electrodialysis Reversal
• EDR systems first developed in 1960s.

• Incorporate electrical polarity reversal to control membrane scaling and

fouling.

• An intermittent process in which the polarity in the stack is reversed

periodically.

• The interval may be from several minutes to several hours.

• When the polarity is reversed, the identity of compartments is also reversed,

and diluate compartments become concentrate compartments and vice
versa.
Cont.
The current-reversal process affects the operation of a membrane system by:

•Detaching polarization film

•Breaking up freshly precipitated scale or seeds of scale before they cause any
damage
•Reducing slime formation on membrane surface
•Reducing the problems associated with the use of chemicals
•Cleaning the electrodes with acid automatically during the anodic operation
Advantages
• Because ED system removes only ionized species, it is particularly suitable
for separating non-ionized fro ionized components.
• Osmotic pressure is not a factor in ED system, so the pressure can be used
for concentrating salt solutions to 20% or higher.
• Unaffected by non-ionic substances
• higher water recovery
• Reduced or no impact from thermal discharges
• Can treat water with a higher level of suspended solids
• Intermittent flushing of the system minimizes need for pretreatment
chemicals and membrane fouling
• Less prone to fouling.
Disadvantages
• Can result in product water with a higher concentration of bacteria than the
feed water
• Generally used for only brackish water, not seawater
• Most membranes cannot tolerate strong oxidants, such as chlorine
• Organic matter, colloids and SiO2 are not removed by ED system.
• Feed water pre-treatment is necessary to prevent ED stacks fouling.
• Elaborate controls are required, and keeping them at optimum condition can
be difficult.
• Selection of materials of construction for membranes and stack is important
to ensure compatibility with the feed stream.
Applications
Electrodialysis finds its applications in various industrial processes include food,
pharmaceutical, mineral processing, and so on.

Chemical Industry
•Desalination and conservation of sea and brackish water and industrial water
•Separation of Organic and inorganic solutions
•Purification of organic substances e.g. amino acids
•Waste water treatment. Recycling of chemical substances
•Use in galvanic industry

Food Industry
•Demineralization of cheese whey
•Wine stabilization
•Production of artificial mother’s milk
•Desalination of fruit juices.
•Desalination of dextran solution
Pharmaceutical Industry
•Purification of fermented solution, serums and vaccines