Thermo-osmosis and electro-osmosis of water and electrophoresis of suspensions in waterstar

Abstract

Experimental studies on the thermo-osmosis, electro-osmosis and electrophoresis of water carried out by the authors are reviewed. The flow rate of water through swollen cellophane membranes is found to depend on temperature difference in a linear manner up to ΔT=25°C. Thermo-osmosis occurs only if the pore size of the membrane is greater than the molecular diameter and is comparable with the mean free path of the molecules. Electro-osmotic flow of water through G4 pyrex sinter is linearly dependent on potential difference only up to ΔΦ=70 volts. The results may be useful in designing suitable electrodialyzers for the purification of water. The electrophoretic velocity of glass particles in water has been found to vary linearly with applied potential difference up to ΔΦ=160 volts. The results are also discussed in the light of the theory of thermodynamics of irreversible processes.