SEPARATOR

A thin structural material (usually a sheet) used to separate the electrolyte of a divided electrochemical cell into two or more compartments. A separator is typically either a membrane or a diaphragm. The distinction between these two separators is somewhat blurred. A membrane typically has very small pores that permit only diffusional or conductive motion of the solvent or the electrolyte from one compartment to another. A diaphragm has larger pores so that it permits the flow (see convection) of the electrolyte solution from one compartment to another but still restricts the complete intermixing the two solutions.