Performance analysis of a continuous serpentine flow reactor for electrochemical oxidation of synthetic and real textile wastewater: Energy consumption, mass transfer coefficient and economic analysis

• Published in: Journal of environmental management Vol. 193; pp. 524 - 531
• Main Authors: Pillai, Indu M. Sasidharan, Gupta, Ashok K.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 15-05-2017
• Subjects: Baffled reactor; Economic analysis; Electrodes; Energy consumption; Industrial Waste; Mass transfer coefficient; Plug flow; Textile Industry; Textiles; Waste Disposal, Fluid; Waste Water; Water Pollutants, Chemical; Plug flow; Economic analysis; Energy consumption; Mass transfer coefficient; Baffled reactor; Textile industry
• ISSN: 0301-4797; 1095-8630
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2017.02.046

A continuous flow electrochemical reactor was developed, and its application was tested for the treatment of textile wastewater. A parallel plate configuration with serpentine flow was chosen for the continuous flow reactor. Uniparameter optimization was carried out for electrochemical oxidation of synthetic and real textile wastewater (collected from the inlet of the effluent treatment plant). Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) removal efficiency of 90% was achieved for synthetic textile wastewater (initial COD - 780 mg L−1) at a flow rate of 500 mL h−1 (retention time of 6 h) and a current density of 1.15 mA cm−2 and the energy consumption for the degradation was 9.2 kWh (kg COD)−1. The complete degradation of real textile wastewater (initial COD of 368 mg L−1) was obtained at a current density of 1.15 mA cm−2, NaCl concentration of 1 g L−1 and retention time of 6 h. Energy consumption and mass transfer coefficient of the reactions were calculated. The continuous flow reactor performed better than batch reactor with reference to energy consumption and economy. The overall treatment cost for complete COD removal of real textile wastewater was 5.83 USD m−3.
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•100% degradation of textile wastewater was achieved in the continuous flow reactor.•Energy consumption for 75% COD removal of real wastewater was 20.1 kWh (kg COD)−1.•Mass transfer coefficient of the reactor is comparable with other flow reactors.•Performance of the continuous flow reactor was better than that of batch reactor.