Absence of bulk electroconvective instability in concentration polarization.

The problem of bulk electroconvective stability of quiescent electric conduction from an electrolyte solution into a charge-selective solid (ion-exchange membrane) has been revised. It is shown through a numerical solution of the linear stability problem that previously reported bulk electroconvective instability does not exist. This numerical result is supported by the short wave asymptotic analysis. Our comprehensive study confirms the result of an earlier, less detailed, report by Buchanan and Saville.