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Design and Application of Electrochemical Processes for Decolorization Treatment of Nylanthrene Red dye Bearing Wastewaters

MetadataDetails
Publication Date2016-02-01
JournalJournal of Engineering Science and Technology Review
AuthorsD. Marmanis, Konstantinos Dermentzis, Achilleas Christoforidis
InstitutionsHella (Germany), Technological Educational Institute of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace
Citations3
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Technical Documentation & Analysis: High-Efficiency Electrochemical Degradation using CVD Diamond Anodes

Section titled “Technical Documentation & Analysis: High-Efficiency Electrochemical Degradation using CVD Diamond Anodes”

This documentation analyzes the research on electrochemical decolorization of Nylanthrene Red dye wastewater, focusing on the critical role of Boron Doped Diamond (BDD) anodes, and connects the experimental requirements directly to 6CCVD’s advanced material capabilities.


The research validates the use of Electrochemical Advanced Oxidation Processes (EAOPs) for rapid and efficient remediation of textile dye effluents, highlighting the material superiority of Boron Doped Diamond (BDD) anodes.

  • BDD Superiority: BDD anodes demonstrated significantly faster dye degradation (15 minutes) compared to Platinized Titanium (Ti/Pt) anodes (25 minutes) under identical electrooxidation conditions (10 mA/cm2).
  • Mechanism Validation: The study confirms that BDD’s wide potential window and high overvoltage maximize the generation of highly reactive hydroxyl radicals (OH*), leading to superior destruction of recalcitrant organic pollutants.
  • Efficiency Benchmark: The Electro-Fenton process, utilizing Fe electrodes and H2O2, proved the fastest method, achieving complete degradation in 6 minutes with the lowest energy consumption (1.05 kWh/m3).
  • Scale-Up Potential: The successful treatment of both synthetic and actual industrial effluent confirms the viability of these electrochemical methods for continuous, automated industrial application.
  • 6CCVD Value Proposition: 6CCVD specializes in manufacturing custom, high-purity BDD plates and wafers, enabling engineers to replicate and scale these high-efficiency EAOPs for industrial wastewater treatment and environmental sensing applications.

The following table extracts key performance metrics and operational parameters relevant to the BDD and Ti/Pt electrooxidation experiments.

ParameterValueUnitContext
Initial Dye Concentration50mg/LSynthetic Nylanthrene Red solution
BDD Decolorization Time15minutesComplete destruction via Electrooxidation (10 mA/cm2)
Ti/Pt Decolorization Time25minutesComplete destruction via Electrooxidation (10 mA/cm2)
Electro-Fenton Time (Fastest)6minutesComplete destruction (10 mA/cm2)
BDD Energy Consumption3.52kWh/m3Electrooxidation at 10 mA/cm2
Electro-Fenton Energy Consumption1.05kWh/m3Most energy efficient method
Applied Current Density Range5 to 15mA/cm2Used across all electrochemical processes
Optimum pH (Oxidation/Fenton)3N/AAcidic conditions required for OH* generation
Electrode Dimensions (Used)5 x 10 x 0.1cmStandard plate size used for all electrodes
Actual Effluent COD Reduction74.5%Achieved via Electrocoagulation (40 min)

The experiments utilized three distinct electrochemical processes, with specific material and operational requirements.

  1. Electrode Fabrication and Setup:
    • Electrodes were standardized at 5 x 10 x 0.1 cm, providing an effective area of 30 cm2 when immersed 6 cm deep.
    • Electrodes were connected to a DC power supply (Agilent E3612A) to maintain constant current density.
    • Inter-electrode distance was fixed at 1 cm.
  2. Electrocoagulation (EC):
    • Utilized sacrificial Aluminum (Al) electrodes.
    • Current densities tested: 5, 10, and 15 mA/cm2.
    • Operated at near-neutral pH (no adjustment needed).
  3. Electrooxidation (EO):
    • Utilized Dimensionally Stable Anodes (DSA): Platinized Titanium (Ti/Pt) and Boron Doped Diamond (BDD).
    • Current density fixed at 10 mA/cm2.
    • Solution pH adjusted to 3.0 using H2SO4 to favor intermediate oxidant production (OH*, Cl2, S2O82-).
    • Supporting electrolytes: Na2SO4 (2 g/L) and NaCl (0.5 g/L).
  4. Electro-Fenton (EF):
    • Utilized sacrificial Iron (Fe) electrodes.
    • Current density fixed at 10 mA/cm2.
    • Solution pH adjusted to 3.0.
    • Hydrogen Peroxide (H2O2) was added (2 mL of 1M solution every 2 minutes).
  5. Analytical Measurement:
    • Dye concentration measured via UV-VIS Spectrophotometry at 496 nm.
    • Efficiency evaluated based on decolorization time, COD reduction, and calculated electrical energy consumption (kWh/m3).

The research clearly demonstrates the superior performance of BDD anodes for high-efficiency electrochemical degradation. 6CCVD is uniquely positioned to supply the necessary materials and engineering support to scale this technology.

To replicate and extend the high-efficiency electrooxidation results achieved in this paper, 6CCVD recommends:

  • Heavy Boron Doped Diamond (BDD) Wafers/Plates:
    • Justification: BDD is the ideal anode material for EAOPs due to its chemical stability and the highest known overvoltage for oxygen evolution, maximizing the production of potent hydroxyl radicals (OH*). 6CCVD provides BDD with optimized doping concentrations necessary for industrial current efficiencies and long operational life.
  • Single Crystal Diamond (SCD) Substrates:
    • Potential Application: While not used as an anode here, high-purity SCD (Ra < 1 nm) can be used as a substrate for advanced optical sensors or high-power electronics required for monitoring and controlling the continuous electrochemical flow system described in the paper’s perspectives (Fig. 5).

6CCVD’s manufacturing capabilities directly address the requirements for scaling up this wastewater treatment technology:

Research Requirement6CCVD CapabilityTechnical Advantage
Electrode DimensionsCustom Plates/Wafers up to 125mmWe can supply BDD plates in the required 5x10 cm format or larger, custom-cut dimensions for industrial reactor scale-up.
BDD ThicknessSCD/PCD thickness from 0.1 ”m to 500 ”mPrecise control over BDD film thickness allows optimization of conductivity, cost, and mechanical stability for high-throughput systems.
Electrical ContactInternal Metalization Services (Ti, Pt, Au, W, Cu)We offer custom metalization stacks (e.g., Ti/Pt/Au) on BDD surfaces, ensuring robust, low-resistance electrical contacts critical for maintaining high current densities (up to 15 mA/cm2 and beyond).
Surface FinishPolishing to Ra < 5 nm (PCD)While BDD anodes often require a rougher surface for maximum active area, 6CCVD can provide highly polished surfaces if required for specific flow dynamics or sensor integration.

6CCVD’s in-house PhD team provides authoritative support for complex electrochemical projects:

  • Material Selection: We assist engineers in selecting the optimal BDD doping level and film thickness to maximize current efficiency (A/cm2) and minimize the electrical energy consumption (kWh/m3) for Electrochemical Advanced Oxidation Processes (EAOPs).
  • Design Consultation: Support is available for integrating custom-sized BDD electrodes into continuous flow reactors, ensuring optimal inter-electrode distance and flow dynamics for industrial wastewater remediation.
  • Global Logistics: We ensure reliable, global shipping (DDU default, DDP available) of sensitive diamond materials, supporting research and industrial deployment worldwide.

For custom specifications or material consultation, visit 6ccvd.com or contact our engineering team directly.

View Original Abstract

The purpose of this paper is the investigation of the capability of electrochemical methods, such as electrocoagulation, electrooxidation and electro-Fenton for decolorization and degradation of synthetic aqueous solutions and actual dye house effluents containing nylanthrene red reactive dye.All electrochemical experiments with the synthetic dye solutions were conducted in electrochemical cell of volume 500 ml containing 200 mL of dye solution at concentration 50 mg/L and interelectrode distance of 1 cm.The three different electrochemical processes were analyzed, and their removal efficiencies were measured and evaluated.In addition, a flow diagram is designed for a continuously operated electrochemical process for remediation of synthetic and actual dye house effluents laden with nylanthrene dye.In the electrocoagulation process with aluminum electrodes, the colored aqueous dye solution was treated at the applied current densities of 5, 10 and 15 mA/cm2 and was quantitatively decolorized in 11, 9 and less than 6 minutes of electroprocessing time respectively.The electrooxidation process conducted with Ti/Pt and boron doped diamond (BDD) electrodes, at the applied current density of 10 mA/cm2 led to the quantitative decolorization and destruction of the dye in 25 and 15 min respectively.In the electro-Fenton process with iron electrodes, supply of added hydrogen peroxide and applied current density of 10 mA/cm2, complete decolorization and degradation of the nylanthrene red dye occurred in 6 min.The actual polyamide textile dyeing effluent of same volume 200 mL with initial turbidity of 114 NTU and COD of 1755 mg/L was treated by electrocoagulation at the same applied current density of 10 mA/cm2.The turbidity was quantitatively eliminated in only 10 min, while COD was reduced by 74.5 % in 40 minutes of electrolysis time.