Electrochemical processes for wastewater environment

The electrochemical oxidation of an industrial wastewater containing naphthalene-sulfonic acids has been studied by cyclic voltammetry and bulk electrolysis using a boron-doped diamond (BDD) and a Ti-Ru-SnO2 ternary oxide anodes under different experimental conditions. Measurements of Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) have been used to follow the oxidation. Cyclic voltammetry have shown that at low potentials there was a decreasing of electrode activity due to the formation of a polymeric film on the surface. However, bulk electrolysis at high potential have allowed the complete removal of the COD both using a BDD anode and using Ti-Ru-SnO2 anode in the presence of chloride ions that act as redox mediators. In particular, it has been found that faster oxidation rate have been obtained using a boron-doped diamond anodes at low current density