24/09/2017 wastewatertreatmentusingElectrocoagulationTechnology

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Electrocoagulation-new technology for the wastewater treatment

Category:GeneralChemicals
Publishedby:DataResearchAnalyst,Worldofchemicals.com

Abstract

OneofthebasicrequirementsofahumanbeingisWater.Globalization,uncontrolledpopulationandotherfactors
arecreatingshortageofpurewaterandtheissueisaconcernformanycountries.Thus,itbecomesimperativeto
thinkaboutwaterpurificationusingeffectiveandinexpensivetechniquesanditsreusability.Awiderangeof
wastewatertreatmentsarecurrentlyknowntopeople.Withtherecenttechnologydevelopmentinelectrochemical
field,anewtechniquehasbeenintroducedintheindustry,namedaselectrocoagulation.Themainobjectiveofthis
articleisfocusingonelectrocoagulationprocessmethodologyanditsapplications.
Introduction

Theclassicalphysicochemicaltreatmentprocessesthatareusedforthewastewatertreatmentisfiltration,airstripping,ionexchange,chemical
precipitation,chemicaloxidation,carbonadsorption,ultrafiltration,reverseosmosis,electrodialysis,volatilizationandgasstripping.Oneoftheadvanced
electrochemicaltechnologybasedtechniqueistheelectrocoagulationprocess.
Electrocoagulation(EC),thepassingofelectriccurrentthroughwater,hasprovenveryeffectiveintheremovalofcontaminantsfromwater.
Electrocoagulationsystemshavebeeninexistenceformanyyears(Dietrich,patented,1906)usingavarietyofanodeandcathodegeometries,including
plates,balls,fluidizedbedspheres,wiremesh,rodsandtubes.
Inthepastfewdecadesithasbeenusedforthetreatmentforthewatercontainingfoodstuffwastes,oilwastes,dyes,suspendedparticles,chemicaland
mechanicalpolishingwaste,organicmatterfromlandfillleachates,defluorinationofwater,syntheticdetergenteffluents,minewastesandheavymetal
containingsolution.
EChasbecomeoneoftheaffordablewastewatertreatmentprocessesaroundtheworldbyreducingelectricityconsumptionandminiaturizationofthe
neededpowersupplies.
Methodology

ECoffersanalternativetotheuseofmetalsaltsorpolymersandpolyelectrolyteadditionforbreakingstableemulsionsandsuspensions.ECremoves
metals,colloidalsolidsandparticlesandsolubleinorganicpollutantsfromaqueousmediabyintroducinghighlychargedpolymericmetalhydroxidespecies.
ECusesaproprietarytreatmentchamberandelectricitytotreatawiderangeofdifferingwastestreamscontainingheavymetals,virus,bacteria,pesticides,
arsenic,MTBE,cyanide,Biochemicaloxygendemand(BOD),Totaldissolvedsolids(TDS),andTotalsuspendedsolids(TSS).Itisusedtotreatmunicipal,
industrialandcommercialwastewater.
ECreactorismadeupofanelectrolyticcellwithoneanodeandonecathode.ECsystemessentiallyconsistsofpairsofconductivemetalplatesinparallel,
whichactasmonopolarelectrodes.TherequirementstooperateECare
Directcurrentpowersource
ResistanceBox
Multimeter

Fig.1)BenchscaleECreactorwithmonopolarelectrodesinseriesconnection

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24/09/2017 wastewatertreatmentusingElectrocoagulationTechnology

Theconductivemetalplatesarecommonlyknownassacrificialelectrodes.Thesacrificialanodelowersthedissolutionpotentialoftheanodeand
minimizesthepassivationofthecathode.Thesacrificialanodesandcathodescanbeofthesameorofdifferentmaterials.
Themonopolarelectrodeswithcellsarearrangedinseries.Inseriescellarrangement,ahigherpotentialdifferenceisrequiredforagivencurrenttoflow
becausethecellsconnectedinserieshavehigherresistance.Duringelectrolysis,thepositivesideundergoesanodicreactions,whileonthenegativeside,
cathodicreactionsareencountered.Coagulationprocesswillinitiatedbyneutralizingthechargesoftheparticlesbyreleasedions.Thereleasedions
removeundesirablecontaminantseitherbychemicalreactionandprecipitation,orbycausingthecolloidalmaterialstocoalesce,whichcanthenbe
removedbyflotation.Watercontainingcolloidalparticulates,oils,orothercontaminantsmovethroughtheappliedelectricfield,theremaybeionization,
electrolysis,hydrolysis,andfreeradicalformationwhichcanalterthephysicalandchemicalpropertiesofwaterandcontaminants.Thereactiveandexcited
statecausescontaminantstobereleasedfromthewateranddestroyedormadelesssoluble.
Withintheelectrocoagulationreactor,severaldistinctelectrochemicalreactionsareproducedindependently
SeedingItisresultingfromtheanodereductionofmetalionsthatbecomenewcentersforlarger,stable,insolublecomplexesthatprecipitateascomplex
metalions.
EmulsionBreakingItisresultingfromtheoxygenandhydrogenionsthatbondintothewaterreceptorsitesofoilmoleculescreatingawaterinsoluble
complexseparatingwaterfromoil,driller'smud,dyes,inks,etc.
HalogenComplexingasthemetalionsbindthemselvestochlorinesinachlorinatedhydrocarbonmoleculeresultinginalargeinsolublecomplex
separatingwaterfrompesticides,herbicides,chlorinatedPCBs,etc.
Bleachingbytheoxygenionsproducedinthereactionchamberoxidizesdyes,cyanides,bacteria,viruses,biohazards,etc.ElectronFloodingofthewater
eliminatesthepolareffectofthewatercomplex,allowingcolloidalmaterialstoprecipitateandtheincreaseofelectronscreatesanosmoticpressurethat
rupturesbacteria,cysts,andviruses.
OxidationReductionreactionsareforcedtotheirnaturalendpointwithinthereactiontankwhichspeedsupthenaturalprocessofnaturethatoccursin
wetchemistry.
AdvantagesofEC

RemovesheavymetalsasoxidesthatpassToxicitycharacteristicleachingprocedure(TCLP)
Removessuspendedandcolloidalsolids
Breaksoilemulsionsinwater
Removesfats,oil,andgrease
Removescomplexorganics
Destroysandremovesbacteria,virusesandcysts
Benefitsofelectrocoagulation

Suppliedasaskidmountedunit,fullyassembledforinlet/outletandbackwashconnections
Lowoperatingcosts
Lowpowerrequirements
Minimalchemicaladditions
Lowmaintenance
Sludgeminimization
DisadvantagesofEC

1.Thesacrificialelectrodesaredissolvedintowastewaterstreamsasaresultofoxidation,andneedtoberegularlyreplaced.
2.Theuseofelectricitymaybeexpensiveinmanyplaces.
3.AnimpermeableoxidefilmmaybeformedonthecathodeleadingtolossofefficiencyoftheECunit.
4.Highconductivityofthewastewatersuspensionisrequired.
5.Gelatinoushydroxidemaytendtosolubilizeinsomecases.
Applications

GroundWaterCleanup
SurfaceWaterCleanup
ProcessRinseWaterandWashWater
SewageTreatment
CoolingTowers
WaterPretreatment
GroundWaterCleanup

ECisextremelyeffectiveintheremovalofnaturallyoccurringsaltsinwellwater,aswellastheseparationofiron,magnesium,calcium,metals,nitratesand
sulfur.ECisalsowellsuitedforthereclamationofgroundwaterthathasbeencontaminatedwithheavymetals,highmolecularweighthydrocarbonsand
Halogenatedhydrocarbons.
SurfaceWaterCleanup

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24/09/2017 wastewatertreatmentusingElectrocoagulationTechnology

ECisusedtoremovebacteria,virusesandcystsfromsurfacewater,therebyrenderingcontaminatedwastestreamsintopotablewater.ECisparticularly
effectiveintheremovaloflifethreateningcontaminantssuchasgiardiaandcryptosporidium.
ProcessRinseWaterandWashWater

ECroutinelytreatsprocessandrinsewaterfromtheelectroplating,computerboardmanufactures,textileindustry,paintrinsewater,steelproduction,mining
industry,automotiveindustry,equipmentrepairindustry,stackwashwater,andpulpandpaper.Inmostcases,thetreatedwatercanberecycledand
reused.
SewageTreatment

EChasproveneffectiveintreatingsewagewater,sewagesludgeconcentrations,andsewagesludgemetalfixationsufficientlytoenablelandapplication.
CoolingTowers

ECisusedtopretreatwaterenteringtowersaswellasblowdownwatertoremovealgae,suspendedsolids,calcium,andmagnesiumbuildup,thereby
eliminatingcostlyreplacementwater.
WaterPretreatment

WaterpretreatmentwithEChasproveneffectiveinremovingbacteria,silicaandTSSpriortosubsequentpolishingwithreverseosmosis,ultrafiltration,
nanofiltration,andphotocatalytics.
Conclusion

Electrocoagulationhasawidevarietyofwastewatertreatmentcapabilities.Itistheprocessofdestabilizingsuspended,emulsifiedordissolvedcontaminants
inaqueousmediumbyintroducingaminimalamountofelectricalcurrent.Ittherebyreducesadditionalcostsinvolvedfortheprocess.Itevenreplaces
traditionaltreatmentprocesssuchasfiltration,chemicaltreatment,whichhaveprovedtobelesseffectiveandexpensiveprocesses.Consideringthe
benefits,ECprocesshelpsremovalofTSSby9599percentBODby5098percentandBacteriaby9599percent.Thissuggeststhatthetechniqueis
effectiveandreliableforawidevarietyoffutureapplications,whichinturnwillgivehopeforpurifiedwaterforall.
Reference

(http://www.universalsystemsinc.net/electrocoagulation.html)[1] From Universal Systems, Inc website - http://www.universalsystemsinc.net/electrocoagulation.html

(http://www.universalsystemsinc.net/electrocoagulation.html)

[2] From Natural Systems, website - http://www.n-systems.net/electrocoagulation.htm (http://www.n-systems.net/electrocoagulation.htm)

[3] From Powell Water Systems Inc, website - http://www.powellwater.com/Data/Technical%20Manual.pdf (http://www.powellwater.com/Data/Technical%20Manual.pdf)

Imagereference

(http://dl.mozh.org/up/Electrocoagulation)Fig. 1) M. Yousuf A. Mollah, Robert Schennach, Jose R. Parga, David L. Cocke, Electrocoagulation (EC)science and applications, Available from -
http://dl.mozh.org/up/Electrocoagulation (http://dl.mozh.org/up/Electrocoagulation)

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