Vinasse is acidic, dark brown wastewater obtained as a residue from the alcohol distillation process, the main component of which is water, in addition to mineral nutrients and a high organic load. Electrocoagulation (EC) is a technology that generates coagulating substances in situ by oxidizing sacrificial anodes through an electric current applied to the electrodes. During the last decade, the electrocoagulation process has been intensively investigated in several reviews, due to its ease of operation, versatility, sustainability and low environmental impact. The objective of the present work has been to make a general review of the EC process, its principle, reaction mechanism and operating parameters involved in the electrocoagulation process. In this research, the PRISMA method was used for the analysis of articles from different databases such as Scopus, ScienceDirect and Google Scholar. This review collects numerous studies of the EC process in stillage wastewater treatment and makes a comparison between these experimental results mainly in terms of chemical oxygen demand removal. In addition, this review makes a comprehensive analysis of EC coupled to other processes, taking into account their operating parameters and stillage contaminant removal efficiency. The conclusion of this research points out that electrocoagulation coupled with other treatment processes is very necessary because it reduces energy consumption and increases the rate of pollutant removal from wastewater.
Hydrogen, as a clean energy source, has enormous potential in addressing global climate change and energy security challenges. This paper discusses different hydrogen production methodologies (steam methane reforming and water electrolysis), focusing on the electrolysis process as the most promising method for industrial-scale hydrogen generation. The review delved into three main electrolysis methods, including alkaline water electrolysis, proton exchange membrane electrolysis, and anion exchange membrane electrolysis cells. Also, the production of hydrogen as a by-product by means of membrane cells and mercury cells. The process of reforming natural gas (mainly methane) using steam is currently the predominant technique, comprising approximately 96% of the world’s hydrogen synthesis. However, it is carbon intensive and therefore not sustainable over time. Water, as a renewable resource, carbon-free and rich in hydrogen (11.11%), offers one of the best solutions to replace hydrogen production from fossil fuels by decomposing water. This article highlights the fundamental principles of electrolysis, recent membrane studies, and operating parameters for hydrogen production. The study also shows the amount of pollutant emissions (g of CO2/g of H2) associated with a hydrogen color attribute. The integration of water electrolysis with renewable energy sources constitutes an efficient and sustainable strategy in the production of green hydrogen, minimizing environmental impact and optimizing the use of clean energy resources.
The modeling and simulation of the catalytic dehydrogenation process of cyclohexanol in a fixed-bed catalytic reactor is presented, leading to finding the relationship between the effectiveness factor, the Thiele modulus, and the Weisz–Prater modulus of the catalyst particles with respect to their axial and radial position, for which the external conditions of concentration and temperature around each particle were previously obtained by applying the material and energy balances in the catalyst bed considering a two-dimensional pseudo-homogeneous model with radial diffusion. Subsequently, the material balances are established in terms of the molar flux density and conversion, the energy balance in terms of the heat flux density, Fick’s law, Fourier’s law, and the differential form of the effectiveness factor non-isothermal for each particle chosen based on the proposed meshing. The Thiele modulus calculated for most of the points is between 0.8 and 0.25, with a tendency towards the lower limit, and the theoretical values established as the limit for the Thiele modulus fluctuate between . Therefore, the effectiveness factor analyzed is between 1 and ; this indicates that both the reaction speed as well as the diffusion speed within the particle have an influence on the intraparticle process, which is confirmed by the calculation of the Weisz–Prater modulus whose values are not 1 nor 1. The results obtained are subjected to a statistical test leading to analyzing whether there are significant differences both in the Thiele modulus, as well as in the effectiveness factor with respect to the radius and length of the reactor. It has been determined that there are no significant differences between the effectiveness factor with respect to the radius of the reactor; however, according to the analysis of variance, there are significant differences in the effectiveness factor with respect to length and, likewise, there are significant differences in the Thiele modulus and the Weisz–Prater modulus with respect to radius and length.
1 August 2024 in Journal of Ecological Engineering
Brackish water is an important source of water resources with lower salt content than seawater. Desalination is a very important treatment to remedy the scarcity of fresh water throughout the world. In this work, it has been proposed to desalinate brackish groundwater using a commercial...
The textile industry is known for its excessive water consumption and environmental impact. One of the major challenges it faces is managing pollution generated by dyes, particularly bifunctional dyes, such as sumireact supra yellow s-hbu, with a red appearance and sumifix supra lemon-yellow e-xf, with a yellow appearance. This study aimed to investigate the decolorization kinetics of synthetic solutions of said bifunctional dyes, which comprise triazine and vinylsulfon. We conducted various tests, including modifications of pH, the addition of TiO2 P-50 nanoparticles, exposure to solar radiation, limited contact with oxygen, and eolic agitation. The initial solutions had a concentration of 1000 ppm of textile dye. The study showed that the reaction order for the “red” solutions in the R6 and R9 reactors and all the yellow solutions was ½. The concentration of nanoparticles and pH had a significant impact on the reaction rate. The yellow solutions with a concentration of 800 ppm and pH levels of 3.15, 4.13, and 2.25 demonstrated 100% color discoloration, followed by solutions with a concentration of 400 ppm and pH levels of 3.15, 2.25, and 4.13. The analysis of variance confirmed the reaction rate constants for the yellow solutions and emphasized the significance of pH in this process.
The rheological behavior of aqueous solutions of polyvinyl alcohol at 4, 6, 8 and 10% by weight has been studied and evaluated at temperatures of 20, 25, 30 and 35 °C, using five non-Newtonian fluid models independent of time: Ferrys, Robertson-Stiff, Williamson, Sisko, and Ellis de Haven. The classical method consists in carrying out regression analysis. Using a comparative procedure of determination coefficients and variances, the model that most appropriately adjusts the experimental data to said model is selected. From the statistical point of view, the Sisko and Robertson-Stiff models present better regression parameters; to better specify the choice of the respective rheological model, a new factor has been proposed in the literature, the viscosity factor (VF), which expresses the relationship between apparent and dynamic viscosity. The analysis of this factor for the five models confirms the greater stability of the Ellis de Haven model in terms of the coefficient of variation of the VF. The value of VF fluctuates between 1 and 2 for all ranges of temperature and concentration experienced for vinyl alcohol solutions. As a consequence of the above, for the choice of the non-Newtonian fluid model associated with the rheology of the aqueous solution of polyvinyl alcohol, it is necessary to analyze the statistical parameters and the VF factor simultaneously.