[Nonlinear osmotic effects in the system contained the polymeric membrane and non-homogeneous aqueous ammonia and HCl...

In this paper, the results of an experimental study of volume osmotic flows in a single membrane system, which contains horizontal, symmetrical polymeric membrane separating water and binary or ternary electrolyte solutions are presented. As binary solutions, aqueous ammonia or HCl solutions were used, whereas ammonia in 0.2 mol l(-1) or 0.3 mol l(-1) aqueous HCl solution or HCl in 0.25 mol l(-1) or HCl in 0.5 mol l(-1) aqueous ammonia solution were used as ternary solutions. The volume flux in configurations A and B of a single-membrane system in a gravitational field were studied. In configuration A, water was placed in a compartment above the membrane and the solution below the membrane. In configuration B the position of water and solution was reversed. On the basis of experimental results, the effect of amplification of volume osmotic flux of aqueous ammonia and HCl solutions in the single-membrane system was demonstrated. The results were interpreted within the convectional instability category, decreasing the thicknesses of the concentration boundary layers.