Integrated approach for textile industry wastewater for efficient hydrogen production and treatment through solar PV electrolysis

Abstract

Combining solar PV based electrolysis process and textile dyeing industry wastewater for hydrogen production is considered feasible route for resource utilization. An updated experimental method, which integrates resource availability to assess the wastewater based hydrogen production with highlights of wastewater treatment, use of solar energy to reduce the high-grade electricity for electrolysis (voltage, electrode materials) efficiency of the process was employed. Results showed that maximum pollutant removal efficiency in terms of conductivity, total dissolved solids, total suspended solids, biological oxygen demand, chemical oxygen demand, hardness, total nitrogen and total phosphorus were obtained from ≅73% to ≅96% at 12 V with steel electrode for pollutant load. The maximum input voltage was found at 3 V for the best efficiency i.e. 49.6%, 67.8% and 57.1% with carbon, steel and platinum electrodes respectively. It was observed that with high voltage (12 V) of the electrolyte the rate of production of hydrogen was higher with carbon, steel and platinum electrodes. However, the increase in the efficiency of the production of hydrogen was not significant with high voltage, may be due to energy loss through heat during extra-over potential voltage to the electrodes. Hence, this integrated way provides a new insight for wastewater treatment and hydrogen energy production simultaneously.