REVOLUTIONIZING WATER TREATMENT APPLICATION OF ELECTROCOAGULATION FOR INDUSTRIAL WASTEWATER USING OPTIMIZED ELECTRODE CONFIGURATIONS

P. SIKDAR, V.H. KUMAR, D. MEHTA, D. MANAS, K. RATHORE

Abstract


Industrial wastewater contains complex mixtures of organic pollutants, heavy metals, dyes, oils, and suspended solids that challenge conventional treatment processes. This study evaluates the effectiveness of electrocoagulation (EC) for treating real industrial effluents, with specific attention to the role of electrode material combinations and configuration. Experiments were conducted using a custom-designed 5 L batch EC reactor operated at laboratory scale under a static flow regime with parallel electrode orientation. Three representative wastewaters from textile manufacturing, petroleum refining, and metal processing industries were treated using different aluminum-iron electrode combinations, spacings, and arrangements. Parametric analysis indicated that alternating aluminum and iron electrodes provided favorable coagulation behavior and stable operation across the tested wastewaters. The reported chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal efficiencies (90.3-93.8%) and heavy metal removal efficiencies for lead and chromium (95.1-97.6%) correspond to the best-performing operating conditions identified for each wastewater type, rather than uniform performance across all cases. These efficiencies were achieved at moderate current densities, with energy consumption remaining below 0.8 kWh m-3, which is comparable to or lower than values commonly reported for conventional EC systems and other advanced physicochemical treatment methods. Electrode spacing in the range of 1.0-1.5 cm enhanced treatment efficiency while limiting energy demand and electrode passivation. Compared to chemical coagulation, EC generated approximately 50% less sludge with improved dewaterability. While the results demonstrate strong treatment potential, practical considerations related to electrode longevity, maintenance requirements, and continuous-flow operation must be addressed for scale-up. Overall, the findings confirm that appropriately selected aluminum–iron electrode arrangements can effectively treat diverse industrial wastewaters under optimized conditions.


Keywords


Electrocoagulation, Electrode configuration, Industrial wastewater treatment, Heavy metals removal, Optimization, Sludge management.

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References


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