Studies on transport properties of short chain aliphatic carboxylicacids in electrodialytic separation

An electrodialysis process was employed to investigate the concentration of formic, acetic and propionic acid solutions under different experimental conditions. In this process interpolymer-type ion-exchange membranes were used due their high chemical stability and durability. The effects of concentration, electric current and time on the electrodialysis process were studied. A mathematical equation representing the water transport behavior of the electrodialysis process for concentrating acids under the influence of different current densities was developed. This equation is valid for any electrodialysis process with ion-exchange membranes used under similar operating conditions. The reliability of the water transport equation was tested through comparison with the experimental data. Results indicate that electrodialysis is an effective method for concentrating shorter chain aliphatic carboxylic acid solutions. Ionic transportation, power consumption and current efficiency data reveal the following trend of the electrodialysis process's efficiency during concentration of carboxylic acid solutions: formic acid > acetic acid > propionic acid.