Effect of Kinetics and Mass Transport in an Electrochemical Reactor for the Removal of Copper in Tequila

Abstract

The construction and application of a monopolar, packed bed, parallel plate electrochemical flow reactor to removal of Cu+2 ions from "ordinary" (i.e., product of the first distillation of tequila) is presented. The reactor is constructed by nylomaq frameworks to accommodate copper hanks cathodes, separated from graphite anodes by means of polypropylene (Celgard®) membranes. Results of the copper concentration profile in ordinary solutions and pH variation along the reactor are reported. Copper concentration continuously decreases along the reactor reaching a removal efficiency ranging from 82 to 85% for all the inlet concentrations examined. The experimental copper concentration profile fits an exponential decay along the axial reactor coordinate, in agreement with theory for porous flow reactors. An equation deduced from the material balance for a packed bed electrode (i.e., copper hanks), that takes into account a kinetic rate constant and mass transfer coefficient to predict the concentration vs. position along the reactor is also presented.