Separation of mixtures of sodium and potassium ions by charge mosaic dialysis

Charge mosaic membranes contain a mixture of anionic and cationic elements separated by thin neutral regions. In order to maintain eloctroneutrality, the overall flux of salts from electrolytic solutions through such membranes must occur with equal transport of cationic and anionic charge. The flux rate depends on the resistivities of the exchange elements and the solution composition. It is shown that Na⁺ and K⁺ can have vastly different relative transport rates depending on the selection of the membrane formulation and the receiver composition. The effect is attributed to ionic polarization of the membrane.