electrodialysis

[ ih-lek-troh-dahy-al-uh-sis ]

noun

, Physical Chemistry.

, plural e·lec·tro·di·al·y·ses [ih-lek-troh-dahy-, al, -, uh, -seez].

1. dialysis in which electrodes of opposite charge are placed on either side of a membrane to accelerate diffusion.

electrodialysis

/ ɪˌlɛktrəʊdaɪˈælɪsɪs /

noun

1. dialysis in which electrolytes are removed from a colloidal solution by a potential difference between two electrodes separated by one or more membranes

electrodialysis

/ ĭ-lĕk′trō-dī-ăl′ĭ-sĭs /

1. A process by which ionized materials dissolved in a liquid, such as the anions and cations of dissolved salts, are moved across a membrane by the application of an electric field, separating them from liquids or ions of opposite charge. Electrodialysis can be use for the desalinization of brackish water.

Other Words From

• e·lec·tro·di·a·lit·ic [ih-lek-troh-dahy-, uh, -, lit, -ik], adjective
• e·lectro·dia·liti·cal·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of electrodialysis¹

First recorded in 1920–25; electro- + dialysis

Example Sentences

But reverse electrodialysis, from putting faeces components on one side of the membrane and urine on the other, "gives us a little extra energy", she says, and is "just enough to give it the boost to do what we need".

From BBC

Desalination by electrodialysis using a stack of patterned ion-selective hydrogels on a microfluidic device.

From Nature

A review article in The Arabian Journal of Chemistry in 2011, about the many ways to treat industrial wastewater, pointed out that electrodialysis was experimentally effective in capturing both copper and chrome.

From New York Times

Two emerging technologies — ion exchange and electrodialysis — capture and concentrate phosphorus and nitrogen enough to be recovered from effluent as struvite8.

From Nature

Other innovative technologies to be tested will include electrodialysis deionization, membrane distillation and low-temperature distillation, while the program also aims to explore the potential for cost reductions and improvements in the energy intensity and efficiency of established technologies such as reverse osmosis.

From New York Times