Technology offer:

Waste water treatment by electrochemical technology

Reference: TO-ELEC-ALL

CENEMES. Servicio de Gestin de la Investigacin y Transferencia de Tecnologa. Edificio Germn Berncer. Apdo. 99 Universidad de Alicante 03080 Alicante. Tfno: 965903488 Fax: 965903803 E-mail: cenemes@ua.es

Waste water technology

SUMMARY

treatment

by

electrochemical

The Department of Chemistry Physics (Applied Electrochemical Group LEQA) of the University of Alicante has a high experience, expertise and know-how to develop and carry out the treatment of waste water by electrochemical technology. Waste water containing salts, PCBs, cyanides, nitrites, phenols, tensioactives, heavy metals, fats and hydrocarbons are able to be treated by this technology in order to decrease its polluting effect. The Department also has a pilot plant fully equipped with the necessary infrastructure in order to develope the pre-industrial phase and scaling-up of the processes.

TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION
ELECTROCHEMICAL TECHNOLOGY Applied Electrochemistry is the employment of electrochemical processes in any type of industrial application as synthesis of pharmaceutical products, nanotecnologies, waste treatment, heavy metals recovering, metallic depositions, etc. The Department of Chemistry Physics of the University of Alicante is focused since several years on the investigation of new electrochemical processes and transfer of the knowledge and the technology to the industry.

ELECTROCHEMICAL DEGRADATION / ELECTROCATALISYS / HIGHLY ORGANIC POLLUTED WASTE WATER One of the main industrial application of the electrochemical technology is the effective treatment of waste water with high concentration of organic compounds (PCBs, cyanides, phenols, etc.) Traditionally, waste water with organic compounds coming from chemical industries have been treated as follows: by biological treatment, with or without a chemical treatment step before. by incineration treatment; if the products could be picked up in solid state. by the burial after a chemical pre-treatment and sometimes storage.

The advantages of the biological treatments are very well known, but also their limitations either for a high COD (Chemical Oxygen Demand) value or the presence of very toxic compounds. The possible presence of inorganic compounds, such as heavy metals, may cause a drop of the bacterial count. On the other hand, the incineration of organic compounds can originate the formation of toxic products that are dragged at the same time by the combustion gases; also, the presence of corrosive agents can cause problems in the stability of the materials of the incinerator. Electrochemical degradation (direct and indirect electrochemical oxidation) and electrocatalisys of hazardous wastewater has several advantages compared with incineration and biological treatment:
CENEMES. Servicio de Gestin de la Investigacin y Transferencia de Tecnologa. Edificio Germn Berncer. Apdo. 99 Universidad de Alicante 03080 Alicante. Tfno: 965903488 Fax: 965903803 E-mail: cenemes@ua.es

electrochemical treatment is able to treat very toxic wastes. this process can operate at room temperature and atmospheric pressure it is a environmentally friendly technology because it uses only electricity. the energy consumption depends on COD the electrochemical treatment can be stopped simply by switching off the power. Cost and safety effective

According with the research lines and the experience, the Department of Chemistry Physics is able to develop new highly effective purification and treatment methods of industrial interest accordingly with the type of toxic charge: When hazardous compounds present on the waste water are degraded inoffensively to less polluting products without arriving to the complete destruction, for example in form of carbon dioxide. When effluents contain either amounts of highly toxic compounds or not biodegradable materials When effluents contain salts, PCBs, cyanides, nitrites, phenols or tensioactives When effluents contain toxic, organic materials combined with heavy metals which have to be removed and/or to recovered. In this case, the organic compounds can be degraded on the anode and the metals recovered on the cathode in the same electrochemical reactor.

Actually, the electrochemical technology is used at the present time in the PCBs degradation in-situ chlorine production ozone generation destruction of cyanides and nitrites purification of waste water using oxidising agents and in general as a method for the reduction of COD from any effluent Elimination of Phenol Elimination of tensioactives compounds and dyes.

Waste water electrochemical treatment is clean, it is carried out at atmospheric pressure and temperatures under 60- 70C.

DESALINATION As described above, other industrial application of the electrochemical technology is the treatment of waste water with high concentration of salts as well as fats and hydrocarbons. According with the research lines and the experience, the Department of Chemistry Physics is able to develop new highly effective purification and treatment methods to: Removing of salinity (amonium, sodium, sulphate, phosphate) in valuable aqueous effluents. Recovering of acids and alcalis from salt solutions (e.g. sulphuric acid, sodium hidroxide (soda) from sodium sulphate). Cycles of acids and alcalis.

ELECTRODEPOSITION/ HEAVY METAL REMOVING & RECOVERING

CENEMES. Servicio de Gestin de la Investigacin y Transferencia de Tecnologa. Edificio Germn Berncer. Apdo. 99 Universidad de Alicante 03080 Alicante. Tfno: 965903488 Fax: 965903803 E-mail: cenemes@ua.es

One of the industrial applications of the electrochemical technology is the electrodeposition treatment of waste water in order to remove and/or to recover heavy metals. The activity of the group in the research line of metal electrodeposition is mainly focused in two objectives: 1. Development of electrochemical processes for the recycling and recovery of metals (Pb, Zn, Ni) from their secondaries. The use of electrochemical processes allows to obtain metals of a bigger purity and it supposes a much less polluting alternative that the classic pyrometallurgy, since avoids the emission of gases, sulfur and metal particles. 2. Removal of heavy metals in waste waters. The existence of heavy metals in waste waters constituted one of the most important problems of contamination at present, owed to their high toxicity and cumulative properties. Respect to their origin, they are generated almost exclusively as industrial effluents. For example, in metallurgical processes, metallic coatings, dyes, batteries... According with the research lines and the experience, the Department of Chemistry Physics is able to develop highly effective treatment to: Metal finishing processes (electroplating,). Recovery of precious metals (silver from photographic material,). Recovery of non precious metals (lead coming from batteries,). Elimination of impurities in chemical reagents. Electroremediation of grounds.

The recovery of the metal is carried out by means of its deposition in metallic form on the cathode in an electrochemical reactor. It supposes the formation of a new solid phase. The type of electrochemical reactor to use is determined by the value of the recovered metal and by environmental laws. In second place, this election of the design is determined by the possibility of recycle the metal in metallic form or as a concentrated solution. The recovery of metals by electrodeposition is usually carried out from concentrated solutions, using an open reactor. This geometry facilitates the extraction of the recovered massive metal. When the main objective is to remove a pollutant metal from an effluent, it is common to find concentrations of heavy metals inside the range 1-1000ppm. These low concentrations force to impose low current densities if conventional reactors are used. Owed to the low concentration of the metal in solution, its important the development of electrochemical reactors able to remove the metals in these experimental conditions. There are two main strategies for this point: 1. Use of three-dimensional electrodes. This type of electrodes (porous electrodes, piling up of spherical material,) possess very high superficial areas. This allows to reach high working current densities and, therefore, to increase the conversion for step. 2. Increase the mass transport conditions by means of generating turbulence.

DESIGN AND PILOT PLANT CAPABILITY The Department Chemistry Physics also has a pilot plant fully equipped with the necessary infrastructure in order to development the pre-industrial phase and scaling-up of the processes. The pilot plant has developed several electrochemical reactors to produce chemicals at pre-industrial and industrial level.

CENEMES. Servicio de Gestin de la Investigacin y Transferencia de Tecnologa. Edificio Germn Berncer. Apdo. 99 Universidad de Alicante 03080 Alicante. Tfno: 965903488 Fax: 965903803 E-mail: cenemes@ua.es

INNOVATIVE ASPECTS OF THE TECHNOLOGY

The electrochemical treatment is able to treat toxic waste water with high concentration of organic compounds The use of electrochemical processes allows to obtain metals of a bigger purity and in consequence much less polluting than the traditional treatments Suitable when traditional treatment methods are not effective due to: not biodegradable materials, heavy metals, hazardous compounds are not completely degraded It is a environmentally friendly technology since it avoids the emission of gases, sulphur and metal particles It avoid the problem of dropping of the bacterial count on the biological treatments It is a cost and safety effective technology

CURRENT STATE OF THE TECHNOLOGY

The electrochemical technology has been already tested at laboratory and pre-industrial level and the research team has several years of experience in this field. The installations of the pilot plant are already being working and some projects for Spanish and European clients have been carried out successfully. All the technicians and management staff are experienced enough to guarantee the success of the projects.

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS

Concerning the use of the equipment, development and scaling of processes, process feasibility, etc, all information is protected by know-how.

MARKET APPLICATIONS
This treatment methods could be of interest to: Industries with waste waters with high concentration as described above. Potential clients could be textile industry, metal - processing industry, chemical industry, etc. Consultancy companies from the environmental sector with activities in the effluents treatment which would like to add new effective methods to their capability.

CO-OPERATION SOUGHT

CENEMES. Servicio de Gestin de la Investigacin y Transferencia de Tecnologa. Edificio Germn Berncer. Apdo. 99 Universidad de Alicante 03080 Alicante. Tfno: 965903488 Fax: 965903803 E-mail: cenemes@ua.es

The Department of Chemistry Physics of the University of Alicante has a high experience and knowhow as well as the installations required to develop new the industrial treatments of high polluted effluents. The department could: develop electrochemical processes for the recovering and removing of heavy metals in waste water at laboratory, pre-industrial and industrial level. design and build of pilot industrial electrochemical plants included their automation according with the specifications of the client

In this sense, this research centre seeks to transfer the technology and know-how on electrochemical field to companies by mean of patent licence or know-how agreements.

DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY PHYSICS PROFILE

The group of Applied Electrochemistry of the Department of Physical Chemistry at the University of Alicante was created in 1983, the present staff consisting of one Professor, 1 Senior Lecturers, three Associate Professors, two electrochemical pilot-plant specialists, an electronic engineer and several post and pre-doctoral students. The research carried out by the group comprises: Electrocatalysis and Applied Electrochemistry (batteries, organic an inorganic electrosynthesis and water electrochemical treatment). The aim of this group is to develop electrochemical processes for industrial purposes. Thus the research in this area field comprises different subjects. We have worked in the development of redox batteries and have built a 2 kW / 20 kWh accumulator based on Fe (III) / Fe (II) and Cr (III) / Cr (II) couples. Other subjects of research are electro-organic synthesis of fine and pharmaceutic chemicals and Electrochemistry applied to the environment. As a result of our work on this first subject, we hold several patents for the synthesis of l-cysteine derivatives and citiolone (one of them is a world-wide patent). To carry out electrochemical processes to industrial scales, we have designed and built an electrochemical pilot plant at the University in which, in co-operation with a Spanish industry, we have been able to synthesise 14Tm of carboxymethyl l-cysteine, a widely used pharmaceutical product. We have also taken part in a project for the recovery of lead from lead oxide secondaries such as used lead batteries (a BRITE-EURAM project). In this project we were in charge of the study and development of the cathodic process, lead deposition, to a pre-industrial scale, of the recovering of NaCl by electrodialysis and of the elimination of lead from the wastewater by electrochemical means. The aim was to demonstrate the feasibility of the process at an industrial scale. At the moment, we

CENEMES. Servicio de Gestin de la Investigacin y Transferencia de Tecnologa. Edificio Germn Berncer. Apdo. 99 Universidad de Alicante 03080 Alicante. Tfno: 965903488 Fax: 965903803 E-mail: cenemes@ua.es

are developing a pre-industrial prototype for the electrochemical treatment of the wastewater of a textile industry. To do all this work, we have not only acquired a deep knowledge of Electrochemistry (both Fundamental and Applied) but also the expertise for developing different types of electrodes - single crystal, DSA, gas diffusion electrodes etc., and of different electrochemical reactors. This has all contributed to our wide experience in the development of electrochemical processes at a preindustrial scale.

CONTACT DETAILS
IRC-CENEMES Servicio de Gestin de la Investigacin y Transferencia de Tecnologa SGITT UNIVERSIDAD DE ALICANTE 03080 Alicante

Ivn Rodrguez Rosell Ivan.Rodriguez@ua.es Tfno.: +34 96 590 34 88 Fax: +34 96 590 38 03

CENEMES. Servicio de Gestin de la Investigacin y Transferencia de Tecnologa. Edificio Germn Berncer. Apdo. 99 Universidad de Alicante 03080 Alicante. Tfno: 965903488 Fax: 965903803 E-mail: cenemes@ua.es