Evaluation of low cost cathode materials for treatment of industrial and food processing wastewater using microbial electrolysis cells

Alberto Tenca; Roland D. Cusick; Andrea Schievano; Roberto Oberti; Bruce E. Logan

doi:10.1016/j.ijhydene.2012.11.103

Evaluation of low cost cathode materials for treatment of industrial and food processing wastewater using microbial electrolysis cells

Alberto Tenca, Roland D. Cusick, Andrea Schievano, Roberto Oberti, Bruce E. Logan

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

109 Scopus citations

Abstract

Microbial electrolysis cells (MECs) can be used to treat wastewater and produce hydrogen gas, but low cost cathode catalysts are needed to make this approach economical. Molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) and stainless steel (SS) were evaluated as alternative cathode catalysts to platinum (Pt) in terms of treatment efficiency and energy recovery using actual wastewaters. Two different types of wastewaters were examined, a methanol-rich industrial (IN) wastewater and a food processing (FP) wastewater. The use of the MoS2 catalyst generally resulted in better performance than the SS cathodes for both wastewaters, although the use of the Pt catalyst provided the best performance in terms of biogas production, current density, and TCOD removal. Overall, the wastewater composition was more of a factor than catalyst type for accomplishing overall treatment. The IN wastewater had higher biogas production rates (0.8-1.8 m3/m3-d), and COD removal rates (1.8-2.8 kg-COD/m3-d) than the FP wastewater. The overall energy recoveries were positive for the IN wastewater (3.1-3.8 kWh/kg-COD removed), while the FP wastewater required a net energy input of -0.7 - 1.2 kWh/kg-COD using MoS 2 or Pt cathodes, and -3.1 kWh/kg-COD with SS. These results suggest that MoS2 is the most suitable alternative to Pt as a cathode catalyst for wastewater treatment using MECs, but that net energy recovery will be highly dependent on the specific wastewater. © 2012, Hydrogen Energy Publications, LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	1859-1865
Number of pages	7
Journal	International Journal of Hydrogen Energy
Volume	38
Issue number	4
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhydene.2012.11.103
State	Published - Feb 2013
Externally published	Yes

Bibliographical note

KAUST Repository Item: Exported on 2020-10-01
Acknowledged KAUST grant number(s): KUS-I1-003-13
Acknowledgements: The authors thank Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. for providing wastewater samples. This research was supported by Award KUS-I1-003-13 from the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST).
This publication acknowledges KAUST support, but has no KAUST affiliated authors.

Access to Document

10.1016/j.ijhydene.2012.11.103

Cite this

@article{70479e384668411b8e624b85f4a87da4,

title = "Evaluation of low cost cathode materials for treatment of industrial and food processing wastewater using microbial electrolysis cells",

abstract = "Microbial electrolysis cells (MECs) can be used to treat wastewater and produce hydrogen gas, but low cost cathode catalysts are needed to make this approach economical. Molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) and stainless steel (SS) were evaluated as alternative cathode catalysts to platinum (Pt) in terms of treatment efficiency and energy recovery using actual wastewaters. Two different types of wastewaters were examined, a methanol-rich industrial (IN) wastewater and a food processing (FP) wastewater. The use of the MoS2 catalyst generally resulted in better performance than the SS cathodes for both wastewaters, although the use of the Pt catalyst provided the best performance in terms of biogas production, current density, and TCOD removal. Overall, the wastewater composition was more of a factor than catalyst type for accomplishing overall treatment. The IN wastewater had higher biogas production rates (0.8-1.8 m3/m3-d), and COD removal rates (1.8-2.8 kg-COD/m3-d) than the FP wastewater. The overall energy recoveries were positive for the IN wastewater (3.1-3.8 kWh/kg-COD removed), while the FP wastewater required a net energy input of -0.7 - 1.2 kWh/kg-COD using MoS 2 or Pt cathodes, and -3.1 kWh/kg-COD with SS. These results suggest that MoS2 is the most suitable alternative to Pt as a cathode catalyst for wastewater treatment using MECs, but that net energy recovery will be highly dependent on the specific wastewater. {\textcopyright} 2012, Hydrogen Energy Publications, LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.",

author = "Alberto Tenca and Cusick, {Roland D.} and Andrea Schievano and Roberto Oberti and Logan, {Bruce E.}",

note = "KAUST Repository Item: Exported on 2020-10-01 Acknowledged KAUST grant number(s): KUS-I1-003-13 Acknowledgements: The authors thank Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. for providing wastewater samples. This research was supported by Award KUS-I1-003-13 from the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST). This publication acknowledges KAUST support, but has no KAUST affiliated authors.",

year = "2013",

month = feb,

doi = "10.1016/j.ijhydene.2012.11.103",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "38",

pages = "1859--1865",

journal = "International Journal of Hydrogen Energy",

issn = "0360-3199",

publisher = "Elsevier Ltd",

number = "4",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Evaluation of low cost cathode materials for treatment of industrial and food processing wastewater using microbial electrolysis cells

AU - Tenca, Alberto

AU - Cusick, Roland D.

AU - Schievano, Andrea

AU - Oberti, Roberto

AU - Logan, Bruce E.

N1 - KAUST Repository Item: Exported on 2020-10-01 Acknowledged KAUST grant number(s): KUS-I1-003-13 Acknowledgements: The authors thank Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. for providing wastewater samples. This research was supported by Award KUS-I1-003-13 from the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST). This publication acknowledges KAUST support, but has no KAUST affiliated authors.

PY - 2013/2

Y1 - 2013/2

N2 - Microbial electrolysis cells (MECs) can be used to treat wastewater and produce hydrogen gas, but low cost cathode catalysts are needed to make this approach economical. Molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) and stainless steel (SS) were evaluated as alternative cathode catalysts to platinum (Pt) in terms of treatment efficiency and energy recovery using actual wastewaters. Two different types of wastewaters were examined, a methanol-rich industrial (IN) wastewater and a food processing (FP) wastewater. The use of the MoS2 catalyst generally resulted in better performance than the SS cathodes for both wastewaters, although the use of the Pt catalyst provided the best performance in terms of biogas production, current density, and TCOD removal. Overall, the wastewater composition was more of a factor than catalyst type for accomplishing overall treatment. The IN wastewater had higher biogas production rates (0.8-1.8 m3/m3-d), and COD removal rates (1.8-2.8 kg-COD/m3-d) than the FP wastewater. The overall energy recoveries were positive for the IN wastewater (3.1-3.8 kWh/kg-COD removed), while the FP wastewater required a net energy input of -0.7 - 1.2 kWh/kg-COD using MoS 2 or Pt cathodes, and -3.1 kWh/kg-COD with SS. These results suggest that MoS2 is the most suitable alternative to Pt as a cathode catalyst for wastewater treatment using MECs, but that net energy recovery will be highly dependent on the specific wastewater. © 2012, Hydrogen Energy Publications, LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

AB - Microbial electrolysis cells (MECs) can be used to treat wastewater and produce hydrogen gas, but low cost cathode catalysts are needed to make this approach economical. Molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) and stainless steel (SS) were evaluated as alternative cathode catalysts to platinum (Pt) in terms of treatment efficiency and energy recovery using actual wastewaters. Two different types of wastewaters were examined, a methanol-rich industrial (IN) wastewater and a food processing (FP) wastewater. The use of the MoS2 catalyst generally resulted in better performance than the SS cathodes for both wastewaters, although the use of the Pt catalyst provided the best performance in terms of biogas production, current density, and TCOD removal. Overall, the wastewater composition was more of a factor than catalyst type for accomplishing overall treatment. The IN wastewater had higher biogas production rates (0.8-1.8 m3/m3-d), and COD removal rates (1.8-2.8 kg-COD/m3-d) than the FP wastewater. The overall energy recoveries were positive for the IN wastewater (3.1-3.8 kWh/kg-COD removed), while the FP wastewater required a net energy input of -0.7 - 1.2 kWh/kg-COD using MoS 2 or Pt cathodes, and -3.1 kWh/kg-COD with SS. These results suggest that MoS2 is the most suitable alternative to Pt as a cathode catalyst for wastewater treatment using MECs, but that net energy recovery will be highly dependent on the specific wastewater. © 2012, Hydrogen Energy Publications, LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

UR - http://hdl.handle.net/10754/598249

UR - https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S036031991202592X

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84872613454&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/j.ijhydene.2012.11.103

DO - 10.1016/j.ijhydene.2012.11.103

M3 - Article

SN - 0360-3199

VL - 38

SP - 1859

EP - 1865

JO - International Journal of Hydrogen Energy

JF - International Journal of Hydrogen Energy

IS - 4

ER -

Evaluation of low cost cathode materials for treatment of industrial and food processing wastewater using microbial electrolysis cells

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this