Micro-electrolysis based nitrate reduction from aqueous solution by CNTs-Al-Cu composite under alkaline environment

Zhiyu Wei; Jie Chen; Hongjin Tong; Mingchao Sun; Jing Tian; Lu Fan

doi:10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.137563

Micro-electrolysis based nitrate reduction from aqueous solution by CNTs-Al-Cu composite under alkaline environment

Chemosphere. 2023 Feb:313:137563. doi: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.137563. Epub 2022 Dec 13.

Authors

Zhiyu Wei¹, Jie Chen², Hongjin Tong², Mingchao Sun³, Jing Tian³, Lu Fan⁴

Affiliations

¹ College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu, 610066, China.
² Sichuan Academy of Eco-Environmetal Sciences, Chengdu, 610041, China.
³ College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu, 610066, China; Key Laboratory of Treatment for Special Wastewater of Sichuan Province Higher Education System, Sichuan, Chengdu, 610066, China; Sichuan Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Persistent Pollutant Wastewater Treatment, Sichuan, Chengdu, 610066, China.
⁴ College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu, 610066, China; Key Laboratory of Treatment for Special Wastewater of Sichuan Province Higher Education System, Sichuan, Chengdu, 610066, China; Sichuan Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Persistent Pollutant Wastewater Treatment, Sichuan, Chengdu, 610066, China. Electronic address: fanlu@sicnu.edu.cn.

PMID: 36526139
DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.137563

Abstract

CNTs-Al was prepared by ball milling combined with sintering process and then used for CNTs-Al-Cu synthesis with chemical deposition method. The obtained CNTs-Al-Cu composite was systematically characterized and its NO₃^--N reduction performance under alkaline condition was also evaluated. As indicated by the reduction batch experiment, 80.2% of NO₃^--N removal efficiency was obtained in 90 min at pH of 9. The product of the reduction process was dominated by NO₂^--N, which was further reduced to harmless N₂. The reusability of CNTs-Al-Cu composite was evaluated, and the experiment results showed that 68.1% of NO₃^--N removal efficiency was maintained after 3 cycles of regeneration. Finally, based on the characterization results and kinetic analysis, it was concluded that micro-electrolysis was mainly responsible for the removal of NO₃^--N by CNTs-Al-Cu.

Keywords: Alkaline environment; CNTs-Al-Cu; Micro-electrolysis; Nitrate reduction.

MeSH terms

Electrolysis / methods
Kinetics
Nitrates* / chemistry
Water
Water Pollutants, Chemical* / analysis

Substances

Nitrates
Water Pollutants, Chemical
Water