Electrochemical Treatment of Synthetic Wastewaters Contaminated by Organic Pollutants at Ti₄O₇ Anode. Study of the Role of Operative Parameters by Experimental Results and Theoretical Modelling

Abstract

In the last years, an increasing attention has been devoted to the utilization of anodic oxidation (AO) technologies for the treatment of wastewater polluted by recalcitrant organics. Recently, Ti4O7 was proposed as a promising anode for AO for the treatment of various organics. Here the potential utilization of commercial Ti4O7 anodes has been evaluated considering the electrochemical treatment of synthetic wastewater contaminated by three very different organic molecules (namely, oxalic acid, phenol and Acid Orange 7), all characterized by a very high resistance to AO. The performances of Ti4O7 were compared with that of two largely investigated anodes: Boron‐doped diamond (BDD), which is probably the most effective electrode for AO, and an Ir‐based anode which presents a relatively low cost. Moreover, the effect of various operative conditions (current density, mixing rate and initial concentration of the organic) was evaluated by both experimental studies and the adoption of a theoretical model previously developed for BDD anodes. It was shown that the performances of the process can be improved by a proper selection of operative conditions. Moreover, it was found that the proposed model can be effectively used to predict the effect of operative parameters at Ti4O7 anodes, thus helping the process optimization.

Efficient Degradation of Sulfamethoxazole by Diatomite-Supported Hydroxyl-Modified UIO-66 Photocatalyst after Calcination

“…Advanced oxidation processes such as electrochemical oxidation, the Fenton-like process, photocatalysis, or hybrid methods have advantages and limitations. For example, the electrochemical methods use no chemicals and are energy-efficient [7]. However, electrode fouling, high electrode cost, and low conduction of the polluted water limit their application in water treatment [8].…”

Efficient degradation of sulfamethoxazole by diatomite-supported hydroxyl-modified UIO-66 photocatalyst

“…Advanced oxidation processes such as electrochemical oxidation, the Fenton process, photocatalysis, or hybrid methods have advantages and limitations. For example, the electrochemical methods use no chemicals and are energye cient (Hao et al, 2022). However, electrode fouling, high electrode cost, and low conduction of the polluted water limit their application in water treatment .…”

A Case Study of Swine Wastewater Treatment via Electrochemical Oxidation by Ti4O7 Anode

“…Magnéli phase Ti 4 O 7 has recently been explored as a promising anode due to its high over-potential, chemical stability and low production cost [ 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 ]. Previous studies found that a Ti 4 O 7 anode can be used to treat various pollutants in wastewater including land fill leachate, phenol, dye, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, antibiotics, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and p-nitrophenol [ 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 ]. However, few works on the application of Ti 4 O 7 in the treatment of real wastewater, especially for swine wastewater, were reported, and usually, only the changes in chemical oxygen demand (COD) and total organic carbon (TOC) were quantified in EO treatment.…”