Removal of organic compounds by anodic oxidation requires a sufficiently high rate of mass transport of target compounds to the electrode surface. Since anodic oxidation is often accelerated by the formation of hydroxyl radicals from water oxidation at high anodic potential, the role of oxygen/hydrogen evolution reactions was investigated. Residence time distributions showed that formation of bubbles in zones where fluid velocity was minimal, allowed for strongly improving global hydrodynamics in the reactor. The role of bubbles was also discussed by comparing mass transport coefficients obtained from the limiting current technique to values obtained from kinetics of COD removal during treatment of a model pollutant (phenol). The use of mesh electrodes (with liquid flowing through the electrode) further promoted convection and mass transport of organic compounds compared to plates. However, large bubbles generated at plate electrodes also allowed for convection enhancement in the vicinity of surface of plate electrodes. In both cases, an adverse effect from bubble adhesion was observed because of the decrease in the active surface of electrodes. The mass transport coefficient obtained with the limiting current technique using mesh electrodes was 0.69 10−3 cm/s at 10.8 L/h with a mean velocity of electrolyte past the mesh surface (u¯mesh) of 0.37 cm/s. It decreased to 0.58 10−3 cm/s during the treatment of phenol at the same flow and reached 0.75 10−3 cm/s when increasing the flow to 32.4 L/h. By taking into consideration gas evolution at the surface of electrodes, this study allowed for accurate calibration of an advective – dispersive model with reaction that could be used for sizing such reactors according to the intended application.Abbreviations: Ae, the volumetric surface area (ratio between the geometric volume and the active surface area of the mesh electrodes) (cm−1); CA, aeration by a floor diffuser of fine bubbles and no current at the electrodes; CEP, polarization of the electrodes with a current intensity and no aeration; CW, no electrode polarization and no aeration; COD, chemical oxygen demand (mgO2 L−1);Di, diffusion coefficient of specie i (m2/s); D, dispersion coefficient (cm2 min−1); E(θ), residence time distribution function; EC, electrical energy consumption (kWh gCOD−1);F, Faraday constant (96485C mol−1); HER, hydrogen evolution reaction; IOA, index of agreement;km, mass transport coefficient (m/s); MCE, mineralization current efficiency; ME, model efficiency; OER, oxygen evolution reaction; OH, hydroxyl radical;Ql, liquid flow rate (L/h); rAO: anodic oxidation rate (mol/m−3 s−1); RTD: residence time distribution; ts¯: mean residence time or first moment order; u¯: mean flow velocity (m/s); VT: total volume (L); σ2: variance or second moment order; γ: skewness factor or third moment order; τ: residence time; μ: order moment.
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