• Membrane Journal
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.319-331
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• 2013

Electrodialysis with bipolar membranes (EDBM) has recently gained increasing attention for the recovery and production of acids or bases from the corresponding salt solutions and other high value-added business like food processing and biochemical industry. EDBM possesses economical and environmental benefits and can complex with other process such as ion exchange process, extraction and adsorption. So this paper investigates a brief overview of development for bipolar membrane and EDBM with the practical application.

• Korean Membrane Journal
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.28-33
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• 2005

The feasibility of producing sulfuric acid and ammonia water from ammonium sulfate was investigated by an integrated process including ammonia stripping (AS) and electrodialysis with bipolar membrane (EDBM). It was suggested that the production of sulfuric acid using ammonia stripping-electrodialysis with bipolar membrane (ASEDBM) was effective in obtaining high concentration of sulfuric acid compared with EDBM alone. AS was carried out over pH 11 and within the range of temperatures, $20^{\circ}C{\~}60^{\circ}C$. Sodium sulfate obtained using AS was used as the feed solution of EDBM. The recovery of ammonia increased from $40\%$ to $80\%$ at $60^{\circ}C$ due to the increased mobility of ammonium ion. A pilot-scale EDBM system, which is composed of two compartments and 10 cell pairs with an effective membrane area of $200 cm^2$ per cell, was used for the recovery of sulfuric acid. The performance was examined in the range of 0.1 M${\~}$1.0 M concentration of concentrate compartment and of $25 mA/cm^2{\~}62.5 mA/cm^2$ of current density. The maximum current efficiency of $64.9\%$ was obtained at 0.1 M sulfuric acid because the diffusion rate at the anion exchange membrane decreased as the sulfuric acid of the concentrate compartment decreased. It was possible to obtain the 2.5 M of sulfuric acid in the $62.5 mA/cm^2$ with a power consumption of 13.0 kWh/ton, while the concentration of sulfuric acid was proportional to the current density below the limiting current density (LCD). Thus, the integrating process of AS-EDBM enables to recover sulfuric acid from the wastewaters containing ammonium sulfate.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.36-42
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• 2005

This study examined the feasibility of producing sulfuric acid and ammonia water from ammonium sulfate solution using two-compartment electrodialysis with a bipolar membrane (EDBM). Electrodialysis experiments were carried out with 20 wt% ammonium sulfate at different current densities and sulfuric acid concentrations in a concentrate compartment. The current efficiency increased with the current density from 25 to $100\;mA/cm^2$. Nevertheless, the efficiency was relatively low compared with that of general desalting electrodialysis, owing to the diffusion of sulfuric acid from the concentrate compartment to the diluate. The diffusion rate through the anion exchange membrane increased with the sulfuric acid concentration in the concentrate compartment, which decreased the current efficiency. Conversely, the electrical resistance decreased with increasing current density owing to the Joulian heat generated during water dissociation in the transition region of the bipolar membrane under a high electric field. From the experimental results, we concluded that operating at a higher current density is effective from the perspective of current efficiency and electrical resistance when producing sulfuric acid and ammonia water from ammonium sulfate using a two-compartment EDBM process. Further studies on the effects of increasing the sulfuric acid concentration on current efficiency are required to apply the EDBM process practically.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.44 no.5
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• pp.476-482
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• 2006

This paper studied the recovery of organic acid from organic acid salt by using bipolar membrane electrodialysis. Acetic acid and lactic acid was used as for organic acid. Organic acid concentration, sodium hydroxide concentration and pH values were measured at various current density. Organic acid salt was effectively converted to organic acid and sodium hydroxide. Based on the experimental results, mathematical models were developed, in which time changes in ion balance were considered. Model predictions of organic acid concentration, sodium hydroxide concentration and pH values were in good agreement with the experimental data.