Momentum balance equation for nonelectrolytes in models of coupling between chemical reaction and diffusion in membranes.

The role of viscosity in coupling between chemical reaction (complex formation) and diffusion in membranes has been investigated. The Fick law was replaced by the momentum balance equation with the viscous term. The irreversible thermodynamics admits coupling of the chemical reaction rate with the gradient of velocity. The proposed model has shown the contrary effect of viscosity and confirmed the experimental results. The chemical reaction rate increases only above the limit value of viscosity. The parameter Q (degree of complex formation) was introduced to investigate coupling. Q equals to the ratio of the chemical contribution into the flux of the complex to the total flux of the substance transported. For different values of the parameters of the model the dependence of Q upon position inside the membrane has been numerically calculated. The assumptions of the model limit it to a specific case and they only roughly model the biological situation.