Electrosorption Desalination by Activated Carbon Fibers Electrode

Abstract

The activated carbon fiber(ACF) electrodes were prepared for electrosorption desalination. The electrodes were analyzed using scanning electron microscope (SEM), and the desalting efficiency was represented by the removal rate of Cl-. As a result, desalting efficiency decreases with increasing initial concentration of Cl-, whereas the total adsorption capacity increases. The most suitable voltage for electrosorption desalination is 1.2 ~ 1.4V. The electrosorption desalination achieves the best results while the distance between two electrodes is 1.0cm. Electrosorption plays a more important role in the adsorption process compared with physical adsorption. The removal rate of Cl- is obviously improved by using ACF electrode modified by HNO3 and KOH and desalination ratio of the electrode treated with KOH is increased by 16.5%. Therefore, the ACF electrode would be suitable for using in the application of electrosorption desalination.