Aplicação de tecnologias eletroquímicas (oxidação via radicais hidroxila, oxidação mediada via cloro ativo e eletrocoagulação) para o tratamento de efluentes reais ou sintéticos

In this work the degradation of real and synthetic wastewater was studied using electrochemical processes such as oxidation via hydroxyl radicals, mediated oxidation via active chlorine and electrocoagulation. The real effluent used was collected in the decanter tank of the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (ETE-UFRN) of Effluent Treatment Plant and the other a textile effluent dye Ácido Blue 113 (AB 113) was synthesized in the laboratory. In the electrochemical process, the effects of anode material, current density, the presence and concentration of chloride as well as the active chlorine species on site generated were evaluated. Electrodes of different compositions, Ti/Pt, Ti/Ru0,3Ti0,7O2, BDD, Pb/PbO2 and Ti/TiO2-nanotubes/PbO2 were used as anodes. These electrodes were subjected to electroanalytical analysis with the goal of checking how happen the anodic and cathodic processes across the concentrations of NaCl and supporting electrolyte used. The potential of oxygen evolution reaction were also checked. The effect of active chlorine species formed under the process efficiency was evaluated by removing the organic matter in the effluent-ETE UFRN. The wastewater treatment ETE-UFRN using Ti/Pt, DDB and Ti/Ru0,3Ti0,7O2 electrodes was evaluated, obtaining good performances. The electrochemical degradation of effluent-UFRN was able to promote the reduction of the concentration of TOC and COD in all tested anodes. However, Ti/Ru0,3Ti0,7O2 showed a considerable degradation due to active chlorine species generated on site. The results obtained from the electrochemical process in the presence of chloride were more satisfactory than those obtained in the absence. The addition of 0.021 M NaCl resulted in a faster removal of organic matter. Secondly, was prepared and characterized the electrode Ti/TiO2-nanotubes/PbO2 according to what the literature reports, however their preparation was to disk (10 cm diameter) with surface area and higher than that described by the same authors, aiming at application to textile effluent AB 113 dye. SEM images were taken to observe the growth of TiO2 nanotubes and confirm the electrodeposition of PbO2. Atomic Force Microscope was also used to confirm the formation of these nanotubes. Furthermore, was tested and found a high electrochemical stability of the electrode Ti/TiO2-nanotubes/PbO2 for applications such as long-term indicating a good electrocatalytic material. The electrochemical oxidation of AB 113 using Ti/Pt, Pb/PbO2 and Ti/TiO2-nanotubes/PbO2 and Al/Al (electrocoagulation) was also studied. However, the best color removal and COD decay were obtained when Ti/TiO2-nanotubes/PbO2 was used as the anode, removing up to 98% of color and 92,5% of COD decay. Analysis of GC/MS were performed in order to identify possible intermediates formed in the degradation of AB 113.

Avaliação do tratamento eletroquímico (direto e indireto) como alternativa de degradação do corante azul de metileno

Textile industry has been a cause of environmental pollution, mainly due to the generation of large volumes of waste containing high organic loading and intense color. In this context, this study evaluated the electrochemical degradation of synthetic effluents from textile industry containing Methylene Blue (AM) dye, using Ti/IrO2-Ta2O5 and Ti/Pt anodes, by direct and indirect (active chlorine) electrooxidation. We evaluated the influence of applied current density (20, 40 and 60 mA/cm2 ), and the presence of different concentrations of electrolyte (NaCl and Na2SO4), as well as the neutral and alkaline pH media. The electrochemical treatment was conducted in a continuous flow reactor, in which the electrolysis time of the AM 100 ppm was 6 hours. The performance of electrochemical process was evaluated by UV-vis spectrophotometry, chemical oxygen demand (COD) and total organic carbon (TOC). The results showed that with increasing current density, it was possible to obtain 100 % of color removal at Ti/IrO2-Ta2O5 and Ti/Pt electrodes. Regarding the color removal efficiency, increasing the concentration of electrolyte promotes a higher percentage of removal using 0,02 M Na2SO4 and 0,017 M NaCl. Concerning to the aqueous medium, the best color removal results were obtained in alkaline medium using Ti/Pt. In terms of organic matter, 86 % was achieved in neutral pH medium for Ti/Pt; while a 30 % in an alkaline medium. To understand the electrochemical behavior due to the oxygen evolution reaction, polarization curves were registered, determining that the presence of NaCl in the solution favored the production of active chlorine species. The best results in energy consumption and cost were obtained by applying lower current density (20 mA/cm2 ) in 6 hours of electrolysis.

Caracterização dos eletrocatalisadores LaMnO3, LaFeO3, LaFe0,2Mn0,8O3 E La0,5Fe0,5MnO3 preparados por autocombustão assistida por microondas para cátodos de células a combustível do tipo SOFC

Materials consisting of perovskite-type oxides (ABO3) have been developed in this work for applications in fuel cell cathodes of solid oxide type (SOFC). These ceramic materials are widely studied for this type of application because they have excellent electrical properties, conductivity and electrocatalytic. The oxides LaMnO3, LaFeO3, LaFe0.2Mn0.8O3 e La0.5Fe0.5MnO3 were synthesized by the method of microwave assisted combustion and after sintering at 800°C in order to obtain the desired phases. The powders were characterized by thermogravimetry (TG), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray fluorescence (XRF), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and voltammetric analysis (cyclic voltammetry and polarization curves). The results obtained by XRF technique showed that the microwave synthesis method was effective in obtaining doping oxides with values near stoichiometric. In general, powders were obtained with particle size less than 0.5 μm, having a porous structure and uniform particle size distribution. The particles showed spherical form, irregular and crowded of varying sizes, according to the analysis of SEM. The behavior of the oxides opposite the thermal stability was monitored by thermogravimetric curves (TG), which showed low weight loss values for all samples, especially those of manganese had its structure. By means of Xray diffraction of the samples sintered at 800°C was possible to observe the formation of powders having high levels of crystallinity. Furthermore, undesirable phases such as La2O3 and MnOx were not identified in the diffractograms. These phases block the transport of oxygen ions in the electrode/electrolyte interface, affecting the electrochemical activity of the system. The voltammetric analysis of the electrocatalysts LF-800, LM-800, LF2M8-800 e L5F5M-800 revealed that these materials are excellent electrical conductors, because it increased the passage of electrical current of the working electrode significantly. Best performance for the oxygen reduction reaction was observed with iron-rich structures, considering that the materials obtained have characteristics suitable for use in fuel cell cathodes of solid oxide type