Developing An Innovative Approach for Industrial Wastewater Treatment: Assessing the Effectiveness of Electrocoagulation in The Removal of Chromium VI from Electroplating

Salim, Ahmed; Lghazi, Youssef; El Bouari, Abdeslam; Tahiri, Mohamed; Tanane, Omar

doi:10.22034/abec.2024.715424

Developing An Innovative Approach for Industrial Wastewater Treatment: Assessing the Effectiveness of Electrocoagulation in The Removal of Chromium VI from Electroplating

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Ahmed Salim ¹

Youssef Lghazi ²

Abdeslam El Bouari ¹

Mohamed Tahiri ³

Omar Tanane ¹

¹ Laboratory of Physical Chemistry, Materials and Catalysis, Department of Chemistry, Ben M'Sick Faculty of Science, Hassan II University - Casablanca, Morocco

² Laboratory of bio-geosciences and materials engineering, École normale supérieure, Hassan II University of Casablanca, Casablanca, Morocco

³ Laboratory of Organic Synthesis, Extraction and Valorisation (SOEV), Ain Chock Faculty of Sciences, Hassan II University - Casablanca, Morocco

10.22034/abec.2024.715424

Abstract

Electrocoagulation has demonstrated its efficacy in treating industrial effluents by effectively removing pollutants, particularly metallic contaminants. The electrochemical processes occurring at aluminum electrodes have shown excellent performance in this regard. In this study, electrocoagulation experiments were conducted on an industrial effluent originating from an electroplating bath situated in Casablanca, Morocco. The primary objective was to eliminate chromium in the effluent and reuse the processed water for other applications within our facility. To achieve this goal, we systematically optimized various operational parameters influencing the electrocoagulation efficiency, including electrical voltage, electrode material, stirring speed, and electrode spacing. Additionally, we assessed their impact on pH, conductivity, and chromium concentration. The experiments were conducted in a well-mixed reactor using an industrial solution containing a high concentration of chromium, specifically 1 g/l of Cr (VI). The chromium removal efficiency was evaluated under specific operational conditions, including the use of aluminum electrodes, regulated voltages of 6 volts and 12 volts, an optimal stirring speed of 600 rpm, and an electrode spacing of 2 cm.

Keywords

Chromium

Electrocoagulation

Aluminium electrodes

Aluminium hydroxide

Wastewater

Removal

Subjects