Permeability and diffusion coefficient of oxygen in membranes for oxygen electrodes

Oxygen diffusion coefficient and permeability in thin membranes of low-density polythene and laminated polytetrafluorethylene (PTFE) are measured over the temperature range of about 20 to 30 degrees C. The diffusion coefficient is estimated from the time response of a large area platinum electrode covered with the membrane material and exposed to a sudden change in PO2. outside the membrane. The electrode is operated at a very low polarising voltage so that consumption of oxygen at the cathode surface is made negligible. This method is considered to be more reliable than that based on operating the electrode at more normal polarising voltages at which the boundary condition for oxygen tension at the cathode surface is often ill-defined. Oxygen permeability is estimated from the flux of oxygen across an area of membrane separating a nitrogen gas stream from one containing oxygen, the oxygen being measured with a platinum/zirconium oxide reversible cell. Diffusion coefficient in the membranes is very temperature dependent, whereas oxygen solubility is only weakly so. The diffusion coefficient at 25 degrees C is 0.28 +/- 0.06 . 10(-6) and 1.0 +/- 0.2 . 10(-6) cm2 . sec-1 for PTFE and polythene respectively. The corresponding values for permeability are 0.80 +/- 0.08 . 10(-7) and 0.43 +/- 0.04 . 10(-7) ml O2 atm-1 . cm-1 . sec-1.