Electrochemical Production of Sodium Hypochlorite from Salty Wastewater Using a Flow-by Porous Graphite Electrode

Abstract

The production of sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) from salty wastewater using an electrochemical cell has several advantages over other methods that often require hazardous chemicals and generate toxic waste, being more sustainable and environmentally friendly. However, the process of producing sodium hypochlorite using an electrochemical cell requires careful control of the operating conditions, such as the current density, flow rate, inert electrode spacing, and electrolyte concentration, to optimize the conversion efficiency and prevent electrode fouling and degradation. In this study, NaOCl was produced via a bench-scale electrochemical cell using a flowing porous graphite electrode in a continuous flow system from salty wastewater collected from the Suez Canal in Egypt. The aim of the investigation was to examine the factors that affect the concentration of NaOCl and energy consumption, such as anodic current density, salinity, inert electrode spacing, and influent feed flow rate. A lab-scale reactor with two electrodes was used to conduct the experiments. The highest NaOCl yield of 20.6% was achieved with a graphite electrode, which had high current efficiency and rigidity at a flow rate of 4.5 mL/min, a current density of 3.183 mA/cm2, an electrode space of 0.5 cm, salinity of 40,000 ppm, and a pH of 6.4. The power consumption under these conditions was 0.0137 kwh. Additionally, a statistical and least square multivariate regression technique was employed to establish a correlation for predicting the % NaOCl production. The obtained correlation had an R2 value of 98.4%. Overall, this investigation provides valuable insights into the production of NaOCl using a continuous flow system from salty wastewater, which could have potential for industrial applications in various sectors such as textiles, detergents, paper, and pulp.