Emulsion Breaking of Used Cutting Fluid by Electrocoagulation Method to Decrease Water Pollution

Abstract

Cutting fluids are liquids having different compositions that are used in metal possessing operations. After being used, the fluids became less effective and need to be changed. In this research the treatment of petroleum oil emulsion type cutting fluid has been carried out using electrocoagulation technology to decrease its environmental impact on water resources. Cutting oil type 7201 produced in (Al-daura) refinery has been treated at different concentrations (1, 2, 3 and 4%) by weight to study the effect of the cutting fluid concentration on the time needed for emulsion breaking. The effect of other parameters such as electrical voltage (by using 40, 50 and 60 volt), aluminum metal electrodes' surface area (by using 4 and 6 cm²) and the effect of added NaCl salt concentrations (by using 0.2, 0.27 and 0.33% by weight) on the emulsion breaking time has been studied. It has been found that there is an optimum voltage for each emulsion concentration and the emulsion breaking time increase with the increase of the cutting fluid concentration and it decrease with the increase of the electrode surface area and the salt concentration.