Question

Describe briefly the following:

Dialysis

Explain the following term:

Dialysis

Answer 1

Dialysis is a purification process used to separate impurity particles of true solution dimensions (crystalloids) from an impure colloidal solution (sol) by diffusion through a semipermeable membrane such as parchment paper or cellophane. The impure sol is enclosed in a bag made of this membrane and immersed in circulating pure water. Impurity electrolytes diffuse out through the membrane, leaving behind the purified sol inside the bag. The apparatus used for this process is called a dialyser. Dialysis is slow but can be accelerated by applying an electric field, a modified method known as electrodialysis, where impurity ions move faster to the electrodes due to the electric field, speeding up separation.