Electrocoagulation technique and statistical analysis for treatment of real effluent from the pulp and paper industry

Abstract

The electrochemical treatment of Organic Pollutants is a promising technique for substances with biodegradability resistance. In this research, the black liquor effluent originating from the Rakta Paper and Paper Company's mill, which employs rice straw as a raw material for paper fiber production, was subjected to treatment using the electrocoagulation method utilizing monopolar aluminum electrodes. The experiments were carried out using a 2.5 L electrochemical cell equipped with monopolar aluminum electrodes connected in parallel. The study examined the impact of operating parameters such as initial pH, current density, number of plates and electrolyte concentration on percentage removal and power consumption. The results revealed a positive correlation between the percentage of color removal and the duration of electrolysis, current density, sodium chloride concentration, and the number of electrodes used. The maximum color removal was observed at initial solution pH 6.5, experimental time 120 min, current density 61.8 A m−2, initial NaCl solution concentration 2 g L−1 and six aluminum plates. The statistical and mathematical data based on experimental results were analyzed using the central composite design from response surface methodology (RSM). The quadratic model is deemed appropriate owing to its substantial coefficient of determination (R2 = 0.99) and statistically significant p-value (≤ 0.0002), suggesting the model's significance. The experimental results indicate that the utilization of electrocoagulation as a treatment method for paper mill effluents has demonstrated superior efficacy compared to the adsorption technique.