Skip to main content
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Aqueous ion partitioning in Nafion: Applicability of Manning's counter-ion condensation theory

Journal Article · · Journal of Membrane Science
 [1];  [2];  [2];  [2]
  1. Univ. of Texas, Austin, TX (United States); The University of Texas at Austin
  2. Univ. of Texas, Austin, TX (United States)
Nafion is a well-studied polymer of significant interest as a fuel cell membrane due to rapid transport of protons, which is often ascribed, at least in part, to its phase-separated morphology. The literature detailing ion sorption and transport in Nafion diverges considerably from that of water purification membranes, with contrasting analyses and models. To help bridge these gaps and facilitate comparisons of membranes with various structures, this study presents measurements of ion activity coefficients and sorption in Nafion 117 equilibrated with aqueous solutions of NaCl, MgCl2, and Na2SO4, which are relevant to water purification. The experimental data are compared to a theoretical framework based on Manning's counter-ion condensation theory and Donnan theory. Good agreement between the model and data is observed for NaCl and MgCl2, using no adjustable parameters. However, the model significantly underpredicts Na2SO4 solubility, which is attributed to ion pairing effects. Furthermore, the results highlight the general applicability of counter-ion condensation theory to highly charged polymers, including those exhibiting nanoscale ordering, while revealing fundamental limitations related to ion pairing.
Research Organization:
Univ. of Texas, Austin, TX (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)
Grant/Contract Number:
SC0019272
OSTI ID:
1841371
Journal Information:
Journal of Membrane Science, Journal Name: Journal of Membrane Science Vol. 638; ISSN 0376-7388
Publisher:
ElsevierCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

References (96)

Development of a space-charge transport model for ion-exchange membranes journal July 1990
The critical onset of counterion condensation: A survey of its experimental and theoretical basis journal June 1996
Colligative properties of polyelectrolyte solutions. IV. Activity coefficient of sodium ion journal June 1957
Colligative properties of polyelectrolyte solutions. V. Activity coefficients of counter- and by-ions journal June 1959
Water purification by membranes: The role of polymer science journal June 2010
Water-mediated transport in ion-containing polymers journal October 2011
KSO 4 ? , NaSO 4 ? , and MgCl+ ion pairs in aqueous solutions up to 2000 atm journal October 1977
Water orientation and ion solvation effects during multicomponent salt partitioning in a Nafion cation exchange membrane journal January 1994
Sorption and transport behavior of perfluorinated ionomer membranes in concentrated NaOH solution journal December 1985
Swelling/deswelling of anionic copolymer gels journal May 1995
Ion association of chloride and sulphate with sodium, potassium, magnesium and calcium in seawater at 25°C journal August 1979
The calculation of ion pair diffusion coefficients: A comment journal April 1981
Ionic equilibria in ion-exchange membranes: a comparison of pore model predictions with experimental results journal March 1992
The solution-diffusion model: a review journal November 1995
Ion and water transport characteristics of Nafion membranes as electrolytes journal August 1998
Ion transport in Nafion® 117 membrane journal May 1997
High frequency dielectric studies of hydrated Nafion® journal November 1998
On the development of proton conducting polymer membranes for hydrogen and methanol fuel cells journal April 2001
Irreversible thermodynamics of transport across charged membranes journal October 1985
The electric-potential profile in ion-exchange membrane pores journal June 1989
Effect of conditioning techniques of perfluorinated sulphocationic membranes on their hydrophylic and electrotransport properties journal November 2002
Divalent/monovalent cation uptake selectivity in a Nafion cation-exchange membrane: Experimental and modeling studies journal December 1997
Ion-containing polymers: new energy & clean water journal May 2010
Ion mobility in Nafion-117 membranes journal October 2004
Sorption and permeation of solutions of chloride salts, water and methanol in a Nafion membrane journal September 2006
Density Measurements and Partial Molar Volume Analysis of Different Membranes for Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cells journal July 2017
Nonrandom two-liquid activity coefficient model for aqueous polyelectrolyte solutions journal October 2019
Agreement of electrolyte models with activity coefficient data of sulfuric acid in water journal November 2014
Conductivity, permeability, and stability properties of chemically tailored poly(phenylene oxide) membranes for Li+ conductive non-aqueous redox flow battery separators journal June 2020
Reformulation of the solution-diffusion theory of reverse osmosis journal October 2004
Role of conditioning on water uptake and hydraulic permeability of Nafion® membranes journal August 2006
Water permeability and water/salt selectivity tradeoff in polymers for desalination journal March 2011
Sodium chloride sorption in sulfonated polymers for membrane applications journal December 2012
Influence of acid pretreatment on ionic conductivity of Nafion® membranes journal February 2016
Specific ion effects on the permselectivity of sulfonated poly(ether sulfone) cation exchange membranes journal June 2016
Monovalent and divalent ion sorption in a cation exchange membrane based on cross-linked poly (p-styrene sulfonate-co-divinylbenzene) journal August 2017
Monitoring multicomponent transport using in situ ATR FTIR spectroscopy journal March 2018
Specific co-ion sorption and diffusion properties influence membrane permselectivity journal October 2018
Describing ion exchange membrane-electrolyte interactions for high electrolyte concentrations used in electrochemical reactors journal January 2020
Combining Manning's theory and the ionic conductivity experimental approach to characterize selectivity of cation exchange membranes journal July 2021
Characterization of a sulfonated pentablock copolymer for desalination applications journal November 2010
Influence of processing history on water and salt transport properties of disulfonated polysulfone random copolymers journal March 2012
Ion partitioning between brines and ion exchange polymers journal February 2019
Fundamental water and salt transport properties of polymeric materials journal January 2014
Single and binary ion sorption equilibria of monovalent and divalent ions in commercial ion exchange membranes journal May 2020
Water sorption and cation-exchange selectivity of a perfluorosulfonate ion-exchange polymer journal July 1980
Application of Volume Characteristics of Sulfonated Polystyrene Resins as a Tool in Analytical Chemistry journal March 1953
New Insights into Perfluorinated Sulfonic-Acid Ionomers journal January 2017
Dielectric Permittivity Properties of Hydrated Polymers: Measurement and Connection to Ion Transport Properties journal October 2019
Transport of Neutral and Charged Solutes in Imidazolium-Functionalized Poly(phenylene oxide) Membranes for Artificial Photosynthesis journal December 2019
Cation Hydration and Ion Pairing in Aqueous Solutions of MgCl 2 and CaCl 2 journal January 2019
Ion Activity Coefficients in Ion Exchange Polymers: Applicability of Manning’s Counterion Condensation Theory journal October 2015
Insights into the Impact of the Nafion Membrane Pretreatment Process on Vanadium Flow Battery Performance journal May 2016
Predicting Salt Permeability Coefficients in Highly Swollen, Highly Charged Ion Exchange Membranes journal January 2017
Microstructure Determines Water and Salt Permeation in Commercial Ion-Exchange Membranes journal October 2018
State of Understanding of Nafion journal October 2004
Electrostriction in Electrolyte Solutions journal February 2011
Mass transport of electrolytes in membranes. 1. Development of mathematical transport model journal May 1984
Mass transport of electrolytes in membranes. 2. Determination of sodium chloride equilibrium and transport parameters for Nafion journal May 1984
Equilibrium Partitioning of Monovalent/Divalent Cation-Salt Mixtures in Nafion Cation-Exchange Membranes journal August 1995
Determination of water diffusion coefficients in perfluorosulfonate ionomeric membranes journal July 1991
Prediction of ion solvation free energies in a polarizable dielectric continuum journal September 1992
Experimental and theoretical investigation of perfluorosulfonic acid membranes equilibrated with aqueous sulfuric acid solutions journal November 1988
Thermodynamics of electrolytes. I. Theoretical basis and general equations journal January 1973
Thermodynamics of electrolytes. II. Activity and osmotic coefficients for strong electrolytes with one or both ions univalent journal September 1973
Sodium and magnesium sulfate ion pairing. Evidence from Raman spectroscopy journal November 1972
Donnan Equilibria in Cross-Linked Polymethacrylic Acid-Sodium Chloride Systems journal December 1963
Mean activity coefficient of polyelectrolytes. VIII. Osmotic and activity coefficients of poly(styrenesulfonates) of various gegenions journal April 1968
Electrolyte Uptake Equilibria with Low Cross-Linked Ion-Exchange Resins journal May 1965
A Selectivity Scale for Some Divalent Cations on Dowex 50 journal March 1957
Thermodynamics of electrolytes. 7. Sulfuric acid journal June 1977
The Donnan Equilibrium in Cross-Linked Polystyrene Cation and Anion Exchangers journal April 1967
Study of Self-Diffusion of Monovalent and Divalent Cations in Nafion-117 Ion-Exchange Membrane journal September 2001
Ion and Water Transport Characteristics of Perfluorosulfonated Ionomer Membranes with H + and Alkali Metal Cations journal February 2002
Complexity in “Simple” Electrolyte Solutions:  Ion Pairing in MgSO 4 (aq) journal February 2004
Electrical Conductances of Aqueous Na 2 SO 4 , H 2 SO 4 , and Their Mixtures:  Limiting Equivalent Ion Conductances, Dissociation Constants, and Speciation to 673 K and 28 MPa journal May 2005
Diffusion and Interfacial Transport of Water in Nafion journal March 2011
Ion-Pair and Solvent Relaxation Processes in Aqueous Na 2 SO 4 Solutions journal February 1999
Proton tunneling within the hydration structure of hydroxyl-containing perfluorosulfonate ionomer membranes journal August 1983
Glass Transition Temperature of Perfluorosulfonic Acid Ionomers journal May 2007
Counterion Condensation in Nafion journal November 2011
Morphology of Hydrated As-Cast Nafion Revealed through Cryo Electron Tomography journal December 2014
Partitioning of mobile ions between ion exchange polymers and aqueous salt solutions: importance of counter-ion condensation journal January 2016
Limiting Laws and Counterion Condensation in Polyelectrolyte Solutions I. Colligative Properties journal August 1969
Activity and osmotic coefficients of aqueous sulfuric acid at 298.15 K journal July 1981
Charged Polymer Membranes for Environmental/Energy Applications journal June 2016
Water Treatment: Are Membranes the Panacea? journal June 2020
Diffusion Coefficients of Alkali Metal Cations in Nafion® from Ion‐Exchange Measurements: An Advanced Kinetic Model journal December 1997
Thermodynamics and Proton Transport in Nafion journal January 2005
Thermodynamics and Proton Transport in Nafion journal January 2005
Halide and Sulfate Ion Diffusion in Nafion Membranes journal January 1987
Water Absorption and Donnan Equilibria of Perfluoro Ionomer Membranes for the Chlor‐Alkali Process journal February 1983
Ion Clustering and Proton Transport in Nafion Membranes and Its Applications as Solid Polymer Electrolyte journal March 1983
A Hydrogen-Bromine Cell for Energy Storage Applications journal January 1980
Composition and Conductivity of Membranes Equilibrated with Solutions of Sulfuric Acid and Vanadyl Sulfate journal January 2013
Sodium, Magnesium, and Calcium Sulfate Ion-Pairs in Seawater at 25c1: Ion-Pairs in Seawater journal September 1969

Similar Records

Experimental observation of nonlinear relation between pressure and water flux is consistent with the solution-diffusion model
Journal Article · Fri Sep 26 20:00:00 EDT 2025 · Journal of Membrane Science · OSTI ID:2997741

Ion partitioning between brines and ion exchange polymers
Journal Article · Thu Jan 31 23:00:00 EST 2019 · Polymer · OSTI ID:1566477

Cellulose acetate membranes exhibit exceptional monovalent to divalent cation selectivities
Journal Article · Tue May 21 20:00:00 EDT 2024 · Journal of Membrane Science · OSTI ID:2377203