Performance of a new electrochemical process using a three-dimensional microelectrode reactor

The purpose of this paper is to design an efficient and low cost electrocoagulation reactor in which aluminum microbipolar electrodes are used and kept in suspension by an axial helical agitator. When compared to a conventional electrocoagulation reactor operated in the same conditions, the new electrocoagulation reactor shows significantly improved performance in batch mode. The use of this new electrocoagulation reactor in continuous mode and at the optimum operating conditions, Viz. Rotation speed = 300 rpm, CNaCl = 1 g/L, i = 180 A/m2, R = 10 mg dye/g of aluminum particles, allowed the dye concentration to reach a plateau with an abatement percentage of approximately 96%. The flocs that were formed appeared to be stable after 1 h.