Solute transport across polyelectrolyte complex membranes

The transport of glucose and urea under electro‐osmosis across two polyelectrolyte complex membrances and two othermembranns, for comparison, was analyzed in detail, both experimentallyand theoretically. The membranes were characterized by measurements of water content, concentration of coion and countrion in the membrane, and distribution coefficient of glucose and urea in the absence of electric current, as a function of external solution composition. In addition, fluxes of those solutes and solvent were measured as a function fo external solution composition and of electric current The observed phenomena were modelled by use of Fick's law of of diffusion, with electro‐osmosis treated simply as bulk flow. the effect of stirring was accounted for in terms of a boundars layer mass transfer coefficient. The results indicate a good fit of the model to the data for glucose. For urea, the results indicate substantial binding of urea to the membrane matrix and anomalous behavior in he boundary layer adjacent to the membrane.