Title: Simultaneous electrocoagulation of dam water and production of hydrogen

Authors: Arturo Bailón-Martínez; Thelma Pavón-Silva; Jorge G. Ibanez; Gabriela Roa-Morales

Addresses: Facultad de Química, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México, Paseo Colón Intersección Paseo Tollocan S/N, C.P. 50120 Toluca, Estado de México, México ' Facultad de Química, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México, Paseo Colón Intersección Paseo Tollocan S/N, C.P. 50120 Toluca, Estado de México, México ' Universidad Iberoamericana, Prolongación Paseo de la Reforma 880, 01219 México DF, México ' Centro Conjunto de Investigación en Química Sustentable UAEM-UNAM, Carretera Toluca-Atlacomulco, km 14.5, Unidad El Rosedal, C.P. 50200 Toluca, Edo. Mex., México

Abstract: The aim of this project was to design, build, and test a novel electrolyser for the simultaneous electrocoagulation of dam surface water and production of hydrogen. Costs were reduced by using stainless steel (SS) and aluminium (Al) electrodes. However, operating the electrolyser with SS as the anodic material and Al as the cathodic material released up to 5.2 mg/L of chromium into the treated water. To prevent chromium release the SS anode was replaced with an Al anode, which yielded an average hydrogen production efficiency of 35.3% and an average hydrogen purity of 92.6%. In a novel scheme, the reactor simultaneously produced cathodic hydrogen and electrocoagulated surface water, which removed colour, turbidity, hardness, chemical oxygen demand (COD), nitrates, nitrites, ammonia nitrogen, and total coliforms. There are several advantages to using this system instead of the traditionally used proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolyser: a) surface water can be used without pretreatment; b) a membrane is not required for gas separation; c) hydrogen production and surface water treatment can be conducted simultaneously; d) the reactor can be coupled directly to a solar energy system.

Keywords: hydrogen production; electrocoagulation; paired processes; simultaneous processes; solar energy; surface water.

DOI: 10.1504/WRSTSD.2017.087141

World Review of Science, Technology and Sustainable Development, 2017 Vol.13 No.3, pp.238 - 255

Received: 24 Feb 2016
Accepted: 01 Mar 2017
Published online: 06 Oct 2017 *

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