Electroosmosis moves fluids through small spaces in a barrier with an electric charge, found in soil and masonry. It can be modeled by microchannels and affects the type of material and fluid. Engineers use it to decontaminate water and stabilize terrain, and keep moisture out of walls with an electroosmosis waterproofing system.
In a phenomenon called electroosmosis, fluids can be moved through small spaces in a barrier when there is an electric charge. It is found in natural substances such as soil and in masonry products such as brick and concrete. The analysis of the physics of electro-osmosis is conducted by modeling small tubes called microchannels. The wall of a channel within soil or concrete has positively charged ions. The inner surface is negatively charged, creating the electrical double layer that drives the fluid.
Electroosmosis is also affected by the type of material lining the space, as well as the fluid moving through it such as water or chemicals used in industrial processes. Fluids typically move at the same speed across the width of the pipe or space, but at the microscopic level, there is a slower-moving layer of liquid where the positive charge is. In biology, this may explain how fluid is moved through the tiny vesicles within plants, which is known as electroosmosis vascular plant biology. Water taken from the ground must be drawn through the stems and branches of trees and plants for the nutrients to reach everywhere.
Other processes occur alongside this type of osmosis, such as the movement of charged particles in a fluid, or electrophoresis, and the actual movement of this fluid within the electric field, which is called electroendosmosis. The characteristics of these processes can be measured and modeled scientifically. This has allowed engineers to create ways to use electroosmosis as a boon rather than a burden on homes and civil engineering projects.
Man has used it to decontaminate the water and to create barriers that stabilize the terrain on the hills. Soil characteristics can be changed naturally by adjusting the thickness of the electric double layer, which can affect the acidity of the soil. Varying moisture content also allows for more efficient ways to change the volume and grip of different soil types. These changes can be modeled to scale in the lab so engineers know how to best use the physics of electro-osmosis in the real world.
A number of ways have been devised to keep water out of basements and electro osmosis is an efficient way to keep moisture out of walls. Water can be kept out of the wall cavities using an electro osmosis waterproofing system that adds an electrical voltage, via titanium anodes, to prevent fluids from entering the ground in the first place. The moisture then flows harmlessly back into the soil.
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