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Published on: April 9, 2016
Quantitative contribution study and comparison between electrocoagulation, anode-electrocoagulation and chemical
Yi-Mei Chen1, Wen-Ming Jiang1, Yang Liu1
1College of Pipeline and Civil Engineering, China University of Petroleum, Qingdao, 266580, China; Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Oil & Gas Storage and Transportation Safety, Qingdao Key Laboratory of Circle Sea Oil & Gas Storage and Transportation Technology, Qingdao, 266580, China.
Electrocoagulation (EC) effectively removes emulsified oil from polymer-flooding sewage (PFS), primarily through coagulation. This study quantifies EC mechanisms and demonstrates its superior performance over anode-electrocoagulation (AEC) and chemical coagulation (CC) for PFS treatment.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Chemical Engineering
- Water Treatment Technologies
Background:
- Polymer-flooding sewage (PFS) presents challenges in emulsified oil removal.
- Understanding electrocoagulation (EC) mechanisms is crucial for effective wastewater treatment.
- Existing methods require comparison to optimize PFS treatment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantify the contribution of coagulation and oxidation mechanisms in EC for emulsified oil removal from PFS.
- To quantitatively compare the performance of EC, anode-electrocoagulation (AEC), and chemical coagulation (CC) in treating PFS.
- To investigate the impact of separating anode and cathode in EC systems.
Main Methods:
- Utilized an apparatus with a salt bridge to separate anode and cathode during electrocoagulation.
- Employed EDTA as an additive to inhibit coagulation and quantify oxidation.
- Compared EC, AEC, and CC performance based on oil removal efficiency, treatment time, and current density.
- Analyzed pH and absorption spectra evolution over time.
Main Results:
- In EC treatment of PFS, coagulation accounted for approximately 80% of oil removal in the anode zone, with oxidation contributing 11%-13%.
- Flotation removed 13%-14% of oil in the cathode zone.
- Separating anode and cathode reduced demulsification efficiency and produced fragile flocs.
- EC demonstrated superior oil removal performance compared to AEC and CC under all tested conditions.
Conclusions:
- Electrocoagulation is a highly effective method for removing emulsified oil from polymer-flooding sewage.
- Coagulation is the dominant mechanism in EC for oil removal in PFS.
- EC significantly outperforms anode-electrocoagulation and chemical coagulation for PFS treatment.
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