OSMOTIC TRANSPORT THROUGH CLAYS AND CAPSULES

摘要

Osmosis through a clay membrane, and osmotic swelling of a capsule formed from an HSA-alginate membrane, are compared. Compacted clay acts as an imperfect semipermeable membrane. When the clay membrane separates two salt solutions of different concentrations, osmotic effects are observed, and two relaxation processes control the rate at which the salt solutions come into equilibrium. Capsules, created with an HSA-alginate membrane, exhibit osmotic swelling when the salt concentration of the surrounding fluid is changed. Their return to a new equilibrium exhibits only a single relaxation rate. Analysis explains why two relaxation rates are observed in one case and not in the other.