Studies on Nylon-66 membrane using aqueous solutions of potassium and lead nitrate salts as permeants

Measurements on hydrodynamic and electro-osmotic permeability of water and aqueous solutions of KNO3 and Pb(NO3)(2) in the concentration (C) range of 10(-4) M to 10(-3) M are made across the Nylon-66 membrane. The data obtained are used to ascertain the form of transport equation using the theory of non-equilibrium thermodynamics. Conductance of membrane equilibrated with water and aqueous solutions are measured and the data are used to estimate phenomenological coefficients. These phenomenological coefficients are used to determine the average pore radius, the average number of pores and the membrane constant. Zeta potentials are evaluated using electro-osmotic permeability and membrane-permeant conductance data to understand the electrical nature of the membrane-permeant interface. It is observed that hydrodynamic permeability and electro-osmotic permeability depend linearly on the applied pressure difference and the potential difference, respectively.