FACILITATED TRANSPORT OF ETHENE ACROSS POLYELECTROLYTE GELS WITH SILVER IONS AS A CARRIER

Three types of cation exchange membranes loaded with Ag+ ion are used to study the selective transport of ethene gas in ethene/methane gas m ixtures across the membranes. The Ag+ ions act as a carrier for select ive transport of ethene. The carrier concentration is varied by two me thods: (a) partial substitution of Ag+ ions by H+ ions. The H+ ions do not act as a carrier. (b) Introduction of coions (NO3-) and the corre sponding counterions (Ag+) into the membrane phase by treatment of the membranes with concentrated aqueous AgNO3 solutions. The functional r elation between the rate of transport of ethene and the carrier concen tration reflects structural differences between the membrane matrices.