Electrocoagulation of tissue paper wastewater and an evaluation of sludge for pyrolysis

Abstract

In this study, the electrocoagulation (EC) of tissue paper wastewater is studied using iron and aluminum flat blade disk turbine-type anodes and a cylindrical iron cathode. The effect of several parameters, such as supporting electrolyte concentration, current density, pH, agitation speed, H2O2 concentration, and type of electrode material on chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal efficiency, is determined. It can be seen that except for agitation speed, all remaining parameters have a positive effect on COD removal. The best treatment efficiency is observed at the original pH of the wastewater (pH 7.4) with an initial COD of 1,220mg/L, reduced to 90mg/L, resulting in an overall removal efficiency of 92.6%. In addition, the sludge is evaluated as a catalyst in a fast pyrolysis process. It is found that when the sludge is used as a catalyst in the pyrolysis process, the quality of the bio-oil product improved.