Basic Concepts

Every electrolyte solution which is not in equilibrium is subjected to generalized forces which control the irreversible processes taking place in those systems. Processes of this type are transport processes and chemical reactions, including relaxation processes. Transport processes presuppose spatial inhomogeneities produced by the gradients of concentrationelectric potentialtemperature, ordrift velocity. In contrast, chemical reactions do not presuppose spatial inhomogeneities. Transport phenomena in electrolyte solutions simultaneously involve both types of irreversible processes, when the formation of ion pairs and other ion aggregates is superimposed on ion transport.