Background: The Textus Bioactiv Ag membrane is an active dressing for the treatment of chronic wounds such as venous stasis ulcers and burns.
Objectives: Determination of the transport and internal energy conversion properties of the Textus Bioactiv Ag membrane using the Kedem-Katchalsky-Peusner model. This model introduces the coefficients Lij necessary to calculate the degree of coupling (lij, QL), energy conversion efficiency (eij), dissipated energy (S-energy), free energy (F-energy), and internal energy (U-energy).
Material and methods: The research material was the Textus Bioactiv Ag membrane that is used as an active dressing in the treatment of difficult-to-heal wounds, and KCl aqueous solutions. The research methods employed Peusner's formalism of network thermodynamics and Kedem and Katchalsky's thermodynamics of membrane processes. To calculate the Lij coefficients, we used hydraulic conductivity (Lp), diffusion conductivity (ů) and reflection (ó) coefficients to perform experimental measurements in different conditions.
Results: The Lp coefficient for the Textus Bioactiv Ag membrane is nonlinearly dependent on the average concentrations of the solutions. In turn, the ů and ó coefficients are nonlinearly dependent on the differences in osmotic pressures (Äđ). An increase in the Äđ causes the Textus Bioactiv Ag membrane to become more permeable and less selective for KCl solutions. The coefficients of Peusner (Lij), couplings (lij, QL), energy conversion efficiency (eij), S-energy, F-energy, and U-energy also depend nonlinearly on Äđ. Our results showed that for higher concentrations of KCl solutions transported through the Textus Bioactiv Ag membrane, the coupling and energy conversion coefficients were greater for larger Äđ up to their maximum values for large Äđ. Coupling of the membrane structure with the electrolyte flux through the membrane is observed for Äđ greater than 10 kPa.
Conclusions: Textus Bioactiv Ag membrane dressings possess the properties of a solution component separator as well as an internal energy converter.
Keywords: Kedem–Katchalsky–Peusner equations; Textus Bioactiv Ag; energy conversion; membrane transport; polymeric membrane.