Integrated Electrolytic Treatment and Adsorption for the Removal of Melanoidins |
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| Authors: | Yamini Satyawali Willy Verstraete Malini Balakrishnan |
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| Affiliation: | 1. TERI University, Institutional Area, New Delhi, India.;2. Separation and Conversion Technologies, VITO – Flemish Institute for Technological Research, Geel, Belgium (actual address).;3. Laboratory of Microbial Ecology and Technology (LabMET), Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.;4. The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) Darbari Seth Block, New Delhi, India. |
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| Abstract: | This work investigates electrolytic treatment and activated carbon adsorption for the removal of melanoidins, the recalcitrant coloring component in fermentation industry wastewaters. A 10% solution of synthetic melanoidins was electrolytically reduced and simultaneously oxidized in an electrolytic cell, thereby altering its reactivity. Adsorption studies using granular activated carbon were conducted using both control and electrolyzed streams. The filterability, surface tension and capillary suction time of the samples were also determined. The reduced melanoidins stream exhibited both a high chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal of 79% and a high color removal of 77% upon activated carbon adsorption. In comparison with the oxidized fraction, the reduced samples displayed enhanced filtration flux as well as decreased capillary suction time, thus indicating better filterability. Furthermore, a decline in surface tension was also observed confirming the decreased hydrophobicity of the reduced melanoidins. |
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| Keywords: | Adsorption Electrolysis Electrolytic oxidation Electrolytic reduction Melanoidins |
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