Is it worth repairing an ion exchange membrane once pinholes appear in it?
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This post was last edited by sunjl1981 on 2013-1-7 00:00. Ion exchange membranes develop pinholes for various reasons during use and thus need to be replaced. Is it worthwhile to repair them, and what impact does repairing them before putting them back into use have on the electrolyzer? Everyone, share your opinions. # ， ， &
Of course it’s worth repairing; it’s like wearing a piece of clothing with a hole in it – would you just stop wearing it? Besides, the membranes are so expensive. The impact is on the membrane efficiency, as the ions at the repaired area cannot pass through. So it means the effective area has decreased. It’s based on this same principle – it’s very simple; don’t throw away the needle just because it’s empty; it’s a waste.
Once the membrane develops pinholes, it can be repaired. In my opinion, if the membrane is designed to last 3 years and the pinholes appear after about a year of use, then repairing it makes economic sense. However, if repairs are necessary after more than 1.5 years of use, there is little point in doing so, because first, the effective electrolysis area of the membrane decreases after repair, which inevitably leads to localized overcurrent at the electrodes; second, when replacing the membrane in bulk, if such a membrane without pinholes is kept as a spare, it will still be affected by the equilibrium solution over time.