| Title of Invention | A DEVICE FOR CHEMICAL OXYGEN DEMAND TREATMENT OF EFFLUENTS BY ANODIC OXIDATION |
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| Abstract | The invention relates to a device for Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) treatment of effluents by anodic oxidation, comprising a first electrolyser having a first type of anode for oxygen evolution and at least one second electrolyser having a second type of anode for oxygen evolution with higher overvoltage than the first. |
| Full Text | FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a device for Chemical Oxygen Demand treatment of effluents by anodic oxidation. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The treatment of effluents very rich in COD (Chemical Oxygen Demand) upstream the biologic purification units is quite challenging. For this reason, a few electrochemical techniques of COD pre-treatment have been explored. COD oxidation may be carried out by electrolysis on anodes characterized by high oxygen evolution overvoltage or with similar specific electrocatalytic properties. The tin and antimony oxide-coated electrodes are included among those, and reference will be made in the following as a non-limiting example of high oxygen overvoltage anodes. Such electrodes have been used in plain electrolysers. Known in the art, for instance in perpendicular flow-type electrolysers. In such electrolysers the solution to be treated passes alternatively through anodes and cathodes consisting of meshes or sponges. The COD reduction of several effluents by this technique was actually observed, nevertheless a very low faradic yield is associated to such system, even though the COD reduction is as low as about 50%. Another kind of electrode having a higher oxygen overvoltage than the tin and antimony oxide-coated anodes is known.,namely the boron-doped diamond electrode (BDD), which consists of a layer of boron-doped diamond deposited on a conductive support. The drawbacks of this type of electrode are twofold, namely its cost and its relative brittleness requiring special and expensive electrolysers for its utilization, on the other hand, its much higher potential under oxygen evolution leads to much bigger COD reduction rates with better faradic yields. It can be supposed that, due to the higher potential, a number of molecules contributing to the COD are degraded by the dissociation of their backbones. DETAIL DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The invention consists of the simultaneous use in series or in parallel of at least two types of electrode. The rationale is to utilize to a highest degree the handier and less expensive elements, that is the tin and antimony oxide-based anodes or other equivalent electrodes, installed in a conventional electrochemical plate or tube reactor, and to a lesser extent the BDD electrode installed in its own appropriate electrolyser to accomplish the part of reaction which cannot be carried out on the tin and antimony oxide-based anodes or equivalent thereof. Being the molecules making up the COD partially degraded by the BDD anode, it becomes easier to complete their oxidation on the tin and antimony oxide-based anode, as confirmed by the experimental observations. For each type of effluent, it will be necessary to determine the most convenient apportionment of electrical current between the two processes of oxidation on BDD and on the tin and antimony oxide- based electrode. The ideal current apportionment is usually comprised between 55:45 and 95:5, depending on the effluent type, such apportionment may be obtained in a very simple manner by acting on the overall anodic surface of each electrolyser (for instance by fixing the ratio between overall anodic surface of tin and antimony oxide-based anode to BDD at a value comprised between 5:45 and 95:5), but other solutions are also possible. For plants having to treat several kinds of effluent, it is advisable that such apportionment be adjustable by means of systems known in the art. The tin and antimony oxide-based electrode may be constructed according to various typologies, for example it may be obtained as a ceramic electrode, for instance sintered from powders of two oxides optionally mixed to other components, or it may consist of a metallic base, for instance of titanium or other valve metal, coated with tin and antimony oxides optionally mixed to small amounts of conductive elements (for example copper) or elements with desirable electrochemical properties (for example iridium) in order to adjust its potential. In principle, also anodes of titanium coated with oxygen-evolution catalysts (for example iridium and tantalum oxide mixtures) might be used, nevertheless the oxygen overvoltage turns out to be too low in this case and the electrolyser coupling of the invention leads to less favourable results. The results relative to the COD treatment of a typical degreasing bath are reported hereafter. With electrodes coated with tin and antimony oxides installed in a RETEC® -type electrolyser, the COD decreased by one half in the courts of 100 hours with an average faradic yield of about 7%. Once coupled the previous electrolyser with a second electrolyser containing the BDD electrode, setting 90% of the current on the RETEC(R) -electrolyser and 10% on the BDD- equipped electrolyser, the destruction of 80% of the COD was achieved in the course of about 10 hours with an average faradic yield higher than 24%. This method thus permits a strong improvement in the rate of destroyed COD, with a better faradic yield (lower electric energy costs), simultaneously limiting the capital investment deriving from the use of BBDs restricting the application thereof to a small percentage of the treatment. WE CLAIM 1. Device for COD treatment of an effluent by anodic oxidation, comprising a first electrolyser equipped with a first type of anode for oxygen evolution connected in series or in parallel and coupled to at least one second electrolyser equipped with a second type of anode for oxygen evolution, said second type of anode being a boron-doped diamond anode and having higher overvoltage for oxygen evolution than said first type of anode. 2. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said at least one second electrolyser has an overall anodic surface lower than said first electrolyser. 3. The device as claimed in any one of the previous claims, wherein said first type of anode for oxygen evolution of said first electrolyser comprises tin and antimony oxides. 4. The device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the ratio between the active surface of said first electrolyser and the active surface of said at least one second electrolyser is comprised between 55:45 and 95:5. 5. The device as claimed in any one of the previous claims, wherein the ratio between the electrical current supplied to a said first and to said at least one second electrolyser is adjustable. 6. An effluent COD treatment process comprising carrying out an anodic oxidation process in the device of any one of the previous claims. 7. The process as claimed in claim 6, wherein the ratio between the electrical current supplied to a said first and to said at least one second electrolyser is comprised between 55:45 and 95:5. The invention relates to a device for Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) treatment of effluents by anodic oxidation, comprising a first electrolyser having a first type of anode for oxygen evolution and at least one second electrolyser having a second type of anode for oxygen evolution with higher overvoltage than the first. |
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01286-kolnp-2007-correspondence others 1.1.pdf
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1286-KOLNP-2007-(11-11-2011)-AMANDED CLAIMS.pdf
1286-KOLNP-2007-(11-11-2011)-CORRESPONDENCE.pdf
1286-KOLNP-2007-ABSTRACT 1.1.pdf
1286-KOLNP-2007-AMANDED CLAIMS.pdf
1286-KOLNP-2007-CORRESPONDENCE.pdf
1286-KOLNP-2007-DESCRIPTION (COMPLETE) 1.1.pdf
1286-KOLNP-2007-EXAMINATION REPORT REPLY RECIEVED.pdf
1286-KOLNP-2007-EXAMINATION REPORT.pdf
1286-KOLNP-2007-FORM 1-1.1.pdf
1286-KOLNP-2007-FORM 2-1.1.pdf
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1286-KOLNP-2007-FORM 5-1.2.pdf
1286-KOLNP-2007-GRANTED-ABSTRACT.pdf
1286-KOLNP-2007-GRANTED-CLAIMS.pdf
1286-KOLNP-2007-GRANTED-DESCRIPTION (COMPLETE).pdf
1286-KOLNP-2007-GRANTED-FORM 1.pdf
1286-KOLNP-2007-GRANTED-FORM 2.pdf
1286-KOLNP-2007-GRANTED-SPECIFICATION.pdf
1286-KOLNP-2007-OTHERS 1.1.pdf
1286-KOLNP-2007-OTHERS-1.2.pdf
1286-KOLNP-2007-PETITION UNDER RULE 137.pdf
1286-KOLNP-2007-REPLY TO EXAMINATION REPORT.pdf
1286-KOLNP-2007-TRANSLATED COPY OF PRIORITY DOCUMENT.pdf
| Patent Number | 251479 | ||||||||||||
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| Indian Patent Application Number | 1286/KOLNP/2007 | ||||||||||||
| PG Journal Number | 12/2012 | ||||||||||||
| Publication Date | 23-Mar-2012 | ||||||||||||
| Grant Date | 20-Mar-2012 | ||||||||||||
| Date of Filing | 12-Apr-2007 | ||||||||||||
| Name of Patentee | INDUSTRIE DE NORA S.P.A. | ||||||||||||
| Applicant Address | VIA BISTOLFI 35 20134 MILAN | ||||||||||||
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| PCT International Classification Number | C02F 1/467 | ||||||||||||
| PCT International Application Number | PCT/EP2005/011197 | ||||||||||||
| PCT International Filing date | 2005-10-18 | ||||||||||||
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