Treatment of Hebbal lake water by electro-coagulation technique using aluminium and copper electrodes.

CHAPTER-1
INTRODUCTION
1.1 General.
The major challenge for 21st century is water and energy. Due to increase pollution from point and non-point
sources quality of water become crucial problem. Waste water is not only one of the main causes of irreversible
damages to the environmental balance but also contributing to the depletion of the fresh water reserve at the
planet. Wastewater generally consist of biochemical oxygen demand(BOD), chemical oxygen demand(COD), Total
suspended solids(TSS), heavy metals, food stuff, oil wastes, textile and dyes, organic matter and suspended particles.

With the increase in population, industrialization and urbanization exploitation of natural resources also
increasing and simultaneously natural resources are getting polluted. Hebbal lake is one of the example.
Hebbal lake water has become unfit for consumption due to the discharge of untreated sewage and effluents
from residential and commercial buildings.
The wastewater generated, if discharged without proper management causes an ir-reversible effect on
environment, it changes the characteristics of the lake water and causes detrimental effects on aquatic eco-
system. For these reasons, it is necessary to remove the wastewater from the source of generation, followed
by treatment and disposal.
1.2 Coagulation.

Coagulation and flocculation are traditional methods for the treatment of polluted water. In these
processes, coagulating agents (e.g. alum or ferric chloride) and other additives (e.g. poly electrolytes) are
dosed to produce large aggregates, which can be separated physically. This is a multi-stage process that
requires considerable land area and a conventional supply of chemicals. A more cost effective method to
clean a wide range of polluted water, on site, and with minimal additives, is required for sustainable water
management. Electro-coagulation treatment of water may fit this description. Due to high BOD, COD, TSS,
oil and grease removal and sludge production expenses, as well as high costs, the electro-chemical
wastewater has grown in importance.

1.3 Electro-coagulation.

Electro-coagulation (EC) or short wave electrolysis, is a technique used for wastewater treatment,
industrial processed water, and medical treatment. Electro-coagulation has become a rapidly growing area of
wastewater treatment due to its ability to remove contaminants that are generally more difficult to remove by

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 Treatment of Hebbal lake water by electro-coagulation technique using aluminium and copper electrodes.

filtration or chemical treatment systems, such as emulsified oil, total petroleum hydrocarbons, refractory
organics, suspended solids, and heavy metals. There are many brands of electro-coagulation devices
available and they can range in complexity from a simple anode and cathode to much more complex devices
with control over electrode potentials, passivation, anode consumption, cell REDOX potentials as well as the
introduction of ultrasonic sound, ultraviolet light and a range of gases and reactants to achieve so-called
Advanced Oxidation Processes for refractory or recalcitrant organic substances.

In its simplest form, an electro-coagulation reactor is made up of an electrolytic cell with one anode
and one cathode. When connected to an external power source, the anode material will electrochemically
corrode due to oxidation, while the cathode will be subjected to passivation.

An EC system essentially consists of pairs of conductive metal plates in parallel, which act as mono-
polar electrodes. It furthermore requires a direct current power source, a resistance box to regulate the
current density and a multi-meter to read the current values. The conductive metal plates are commonly
known as "sacrificial electrodes." The sacrificial anode lowers the dissolution potential of the anode and
minimizes the passivation of the cathode. The sacrificial anodes and cathodes can be of the same or of
different materials.

The arrangement of mono-polar electrodes with cells in series is electrically similar to a single cell
with many electrodes and interconnections. In series cell arrangement, a higher potential difference is
required for a given current to flow because the cells connected in series have higher resistance. The same
current would, however, flow through all the electrodes. On the other hand, in parallel or bipolar
arrangement the electric current is divided between all the electrodes in relation to the resistance of the
individual cells, and each face on the electrode has a different polarity.

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 Treatment of Hebbal lake water by electro-coagulation technique using aluminium and copper electrodes.

Schematic representation of mono-polar arrangement of electrodes.

During electrolysis, the positive side undergoes anodic reactions, while on the negative side,
cathodic reactions are encountered. Consumable metal plates, such as iron or aluminum, are usually used as
sacrificial electrodes to continuously produce ions in the water. The released ions neutralize the charges of
the particles and thereby initiate coagulation. The released ions remove undesirable contaminants either by
chemical reaction and precipitation, or by causing the colloidal materials to coalesce, which can then be
removed by flotation. In addition, as water containing colloidal particulates, oils, or other contaminants
move through the applied electric field, there may be ionization, electrolysis, hydrolysis, and free-radical
formation which can alter the physical and chemical properties of water and contaminants. As a result, the
reactive and excited state causes contaminants to be released from the water and destroyed or made less
soluble.

It is important to note that electro-coagulation technology cannot remove infinitely soluble matter.
Therefore ions with molecular weights smaller than Ca+2 or Mg+2 cannot be dissociated from the aqueous
medium.

1.4 Scope of the study.

Chemical coagulation has been in practise for several decades to precipitate the soluble heavy metals
present in the waste water as hydroxide and facilitate their removal by physical separation through
sedimentation process. Ferrous sulphite, hydrated lime, alum etc are most commonly used chemical
coagulants used in domestic. The inherent disadvantage of this process generation of large quantities of
chemical sludge and its classification as hazardous waste, necessitating the need for secured land filling of
hazardous solid waste. Due to unavailability of open area, the dumping of sludge created a problem. Electro
-coagulation has several advantages over conventional methods, viz, no addition of lime, ferric and
coagulant chemical, very low operating cost compared to conventional system, very less civil area and
construction, colour removal upto 95% BOD removal without biological treatment,very less quantity of
sludge generation of sludge generation ,simple and easy to operate and maintain.

1.5 Objectives.

* To evaluate the characteristics of Hebbal lake water.

* To examine the feasibility of electro-coagulation technique using Al & CU electrodes.

* To scrutinize normal efficiency of Al & Cu electrodes in removal of turbidity, solids etc.

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 Treatment of Hebbal lake water by electro-coagulation technique using aluminium and copper electrodes.

CHAPTER-2
LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 Properties of Aluminium alloy.
*Very low specific weight. About 1/3 of iron.

*It can be easily shaped, rolled, drawn, extruded, welded and therefore it is the ideal metal for
construction. Its module of elasticity (70.000MPa) is 3 times lower than of iron. Under load
conditions, an aluminium structure has 3 times greater elastic elongation than an iron one.

*Aluminium and most of its alloys range from resistant to very resistant against various forms of
corrosion. Due to its close chemical affinity with oxygen, the metal’s physical surface is permanently
covered with a layer of aluminium oxide, which is a very effective way of preventing further
corrosion. It is this property that makes it popular with construction, marine engineering and the
transportation industry (automobiles, trains, aircrafts). Its near-to-zero maintenance cost in
combination with its low specific weight, make aluminium the ideal choice.

*Aluminium is a good thermal and electrical conductor.

*It cannot be magnetized or burnt, properties which are considered quite essential for special
applications, such as in Electronics and marine constructions (oil platforms).

*It is non-toxic when it comes in contact with food (reasonable toxicity range), while as a protective
film it demonstrates very low permeability, properties that have made it the raw material for food
packaging and, in particular, for flexible multi-layered packages (e.g. polyester, aluminium,
polyethylene).
*High diffuse reflectivity and low secondary heat emission factor. These 2 properties render it
necessary for a 'cold' outer shell for new buildings that are built for the service industry as well as
energy re-classification of old 'energy hungry' buildings.

2.2 Properties of copper alloy.

Copper is an excellent electrical conductor. Most of its uses are based on this property or the fact that
it is also a good thermal conductor. However, many of its applications also rely on one or more of its other
properties. For example, it wouldn't make very good water and gas pipes if it were highly reactive. On this
page, we look at these other properties:

 A good electrical conductor.

 A good thermal conductor.

 Corrosion resistant.
 Easily joined.

 Ductile.

 Tough.
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 Treatment of Hebbal lake water by electro-coagulation technique using aluminium and copper electrodes.

 Non magnetic.

 Easy to alloy.

 Anti-bacterial.
Corrosion resistant
Copper is low in the reactivity series. This means that it doesn't tend to corrode. Again, this is
important for its use for pipes, electrical cables, saucepans and radiators. However, it also means that it is
well suited to decorative use. Jewellery, statues and parts of buildings can be made from copper, brass or
bronze and remain attractive for thousands of years.
Antibacterial
Copper is a naturally hygienic metal that slows down the growth of germs such as E-coli, MRSA
and legionella.This is important for applications such as food preparation, hospitals, coins, door knobs and
plumbing system
Easily joined
Copper can be joined easily by soldering or brazing. This is useful for pipe work and for making
sealed copper vessels.
Ductile
Copper is a ductile metal. This means that it can easily be shaped into pipes and drawn into wires.
Copper pipes are lightweight because they can have thin walls. They don't corrode and they can be bent to fit
around corners. The pipes can be joined by soldering and they are safe in fires because they don't burn or
support combustion.

2.3 Earlier studies on treatment of waste water by electro-coagulation process

Chantaraporn Phalakornkulea et,al., has carried out investigation on “wastewater generated by
palm oil mill”. Palm oil mill effluent (POME) is wastewater generated from the palm oil milling process. It
is regarded as a highly polluting wastewater as it has a high chemical oxygen demand (COD), and contains
high levels of oil and suspended solids. Pre-treatment of POME is desirable before a subsequent biological
or other treatment. This paper reports a study of POME pre-treatment by electro-coagulation and
conventional coagulation with Al2(SO4)3. At an optimal condition with a current density of 20A/m2 for 5min
at 313K and pH5 ,the percentage of oil, COD, suspended solids, and total solids removal by electro-
coagulation were 72%, 64%, 53%, and 43%, respectively. The electrical consumption under this condition
was in the order of 0.10kWh/m3. The addition of NaNO3 improve the electro-coagulation, and it may also be
beneficial for a subsequent biological treatment. At high current densities and/or long electro-coagulation
time, POME treatment produced bubbles, which decrease the efficiency of oil removal. This effect did not
occur in conventional coagulation. However, chemical coagulation limits oil removal from POME due to the
effect of pH. Overall, electro-coagulation should cause less environmental damage than conventional
chemical coagulation by Al2(SO4)3 as it treats POME without the need to add sulphate ions.

Mehmet cobya et,al., has carried out investigation on “treatment of textile wastewater by electro-
coagulation”. Treatment of textile wastewaters by electro-coagulation using iron and of aluminium electrode
materials has been investigated in this paper. The effects of relevant wastewater characteristics such as
conductivity and pH, and important process variables such as current density and operating time on the
chemical oxygen demand (COD) and turbidity removal efficiencies have been explored. Furthermore, the
electrode and energy consumptions for each electrode have been calculated. The results show that iron is

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 Treatment of Hebbal lake water by electro-coagulation technique using aluminium and copper electrodes.

superior to aluminium as sacrificial electrode material, from COD removal efficiency and energy
consumption points.

Peter holt et,al., has carried out investigation on “treatment of wastewater by electro-coagulation”.
Coagulation and flocculation are traditional methods for the treatment of polluted water. Electro-coagulation
presents a robust novel and innovative alternative in which a sacrificial metal anode doses water
electrochemically. This has the major advantage of providing active cations required for coagulation,
without increasing the salinity of the water. Electro-coagulation is a complex process with a multitude of
mechanisms operating synergistically to remove pollutants from the water. A wide variety of opinions exist
in the literature for key mechanisms and reactor configurations. A lack of a systematic approach has
resulted in a myriad of designs for electro-coagulation reactors without due consideration of the complexity
of the system. A systematic, holistic approach is required to understand electro-coagulation and its
controlling parameters. This will enable a priori prediction of the treatment of various pollutant types.

M Yousuf A Mollah et,al., has carried out investigation on “electro-coagulation technique”.

Although electro-coagulation is an evolving technology that is being effectively applied today for
wastewater treatment, the paucity of scientific understanding of the complex chemical and physical
processes involved is limiting future design and hindering progress. The objective of this review through a
survey of the literature is to bring the chemistry and physical processes involved into perspective and to
focus attention on those areas critically needing research.

Soha A Abedal-Gawada et,al., has carried out investigation on “electro-coagulation method for
removal of pesticides”. This work deals with the possibility of using electro-coagulation method for the
removal of some pesticides. The effect of various operational parameters of the removal efficiency was
investigated and optimized. The removal of pesticides using iron sacrificial oxide was affected by the initial
pH, the current density , the amount of NaCl and the initial pesticide concentration. The removal % for
pesticides was ~ 98-99%. When iron used as a sacrificial anode under the operating conditions of initial pH
of 6-7, current density of 1mA/cm2, electrolysis time of 10 min, initial pesticide concentration of 0.5% and
NaCl concentration of 1g/L. the obtained results showed that pseudo-second-order equation was found to be
in a good agreement with the experimental results.

Arash Dalawand et,al., has carried out investigation on “efficiency of electro-coagulation

technique”. In this research, the efficiency of electro-coagulation treatment process using aluminium
electrodes to treat synthetic wastewater containing Reactive Red198 (RR198) was studied. The effects of
parameters such as voltage, time of reaction, electrode connection mode, initial dye concentration,
electrolyte concentration, and inter electrode distance on dye removal efficiency were investigated. In
addition, electrical energy consumption, electrode consumption, and operating cost at optimum condition
have been investigated. The results showed that dye and chemical oxygen demand removals were 98.6 and
84%, respectively. Electrode consumption, energy consumption and operating cost were 0.052kg/m3,
1.303kWh/m3 and 0.256US$/m3, respectively. Dye removal kinetic followed first order kinetics. It can be
concluded that electro-coagulation process by aluminum electrode is very efficient and clean process for
reactive dye removal from coloured wastewater.

Erick Butler et,al., has carried out investigation on “treatment of wastewater by electro-coagulation
technique”. A review of the literature published in from 2008 to 2010 on topics related to electrochemical
treatment within wastewater was presented. The review included several sections such as optimization,
modeling, various wastewater treatment techniques, analytical and instrumentation, and comparison with
other treatment methods.

Ramona G.Simon et,al., has carried out investigation on “electro-coagulation technique for
treatment of industrial and municipal wastewater”. Electro-coagulation technologies for the treatment of
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 Treatment of Hebbal lake water by electro-coagulation technique using aluminium and copper electrodes.

industrial and municipal wastewaters, potable water, and groundwater, are presented, focusing on the main
water constituents: in-organics, organics, micro-pollutants, and microorganisms. Removal of inorganic
compounds by electro-dialysis, electro-coagulation, and capacitive deionization as well as removal of
organics and micro-pollutants by electrosorption, advanced oxidation processes, and anodic oxidation with
boron‐doped diamond electrodes are reviewed. Electricity can be generated by degradation of organic
compounds in microbial fuel cells and dehalogenation by cathodic reduction minimizes toxic substances in
water. The disinfection of different types of water is also presented and it is shown that electrochemical
methods offer versatile approaches to contribute to an sustainable future water management.

Bharath M et,al., has carried out investigation on “control of environmental pollution and treatment
of polluted water by electro-coagulation technique”. The control of environmental pollution and also the
treatment of polluted water are of great concern. Within the past decade, electrochemical coagulation process
has emerged as most effective wastewater treatment process as compared to conventional techniques
of treating wastewater. Electro-coagulation is robust, cost effective, reliable, low sludge generating
process, it has automation amenability and it has high pollutant removal efficiency. It has been proved
effective in treating various types of wastewater but is seldom accepted. The aim of the review is to
explain the basics and up to date advancement of electro-coagulation method for the improvements in
the pollutant removal efficiency. In this review paper, an overview of electro-coagulation method with
effect of key operational parameters on it is provided. Limitations of the method are also represented for
the better understanding of the mechanism of pollutant removal and its optimization. The recent
advancements and future scope of the electro-coagulation process are also reviewed.

Renuka P.Koppad et,al., has carried out investigation on “treatment of domestic wastewater by
electro-coagulation technique”. The treatment of waste water has become an absolute necessity. An
innovative cheap and effective method of purification and cleaning wastewater before discharging into any
other water system is needed. The present study was to conduct to investigate the applicability of the electro
coagulation technique for the treatment of domestic wastewater at S.T.J.I.T Ranebennur. Electro-coagulation
is a surface reaction. In this experiment the sample are used at different voltage of current is passed in the
sample (5V, 10V, 15V) and at distance of 3, 5, 7cm. The electrodes used are Aluminum and Iron. The
combination effects pH, Turbidity, Acidity, and Alkalinity, from the domestic waste water showed that only
current (c) have correlation with each other.

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