Enhancement of nitrate removal from a solution of mixed nitrate, chloride and sulfate ions using a nitrate-selective carbon electrode

Abstract A nitrate-selective carbon electrode (NSCE) was fabricated to remove nitrate ions selectively from a solution of mixed anions. The NSCE was prepared by coating anion-exchange resin powder with a high selectivity toward nitrate ions on a carbon electrode surface. We performed desalination experiments on a solution of mixed chloride, nitrate and sulfate ions using a CDI cell (NSCE cell) constructed with the NSCE. The desalination results were compared with the results obtained in a CE cell containing an uncoated carbon electrode (CE). According to the adsorption equilibrium tests, the BHP55 resin had a preference for ions in the order nitrate ≫ sulfate > chloride. The desalination experiments were performed by applying a constant current until the cell potential reached 1.0 V. The total amount of ions adsorbed in the NSCE cell was approximately 34% higher than that in the CE cell. The amount of nitrate ions adsorbed in the NSCE cell was approximately 2-fold higher value than that in the CE cell. However, the amount of adsorbed chloride and sulfate ions was similar in the two cells. These results show that the fabricated NSCE was effective at enhancing the removal of nitrate ions from a mixed solution.

[1]  Linda Zou,et al.  Using activated carbon electrode in electrosorptive deionisation of brackish water , 2008 .

[2]  Sung-Woo Hwang,et al.  Capacitance control of carbon aerogel electrodes , 2004 .

[3]  P. M. Biesheuvel,et al.  Membrane capacitive deionization , 2010 .

[4]  Tingting Yan,et al.  Comparative Electroadsorption Study of Mesoporous Carbon Electrodes with Various Pore Structures , 2011 .

[5]  T. D. Tran,et al.  Electrosorption of inorganic salts from aqueous solution using carbon aerogels. , 2002, Environmental science & technology.

[6]  D. Aurbach,et al.  The Rate-Determining Step of Electroadsorption Processes into Nanoporous Carbon Electrodes Related to Water Desalination , 2009 .

[7]  P. M. Biesheuvel,et al.  Dynamic Adsorption/Desorption Process Model for Capacitive Deionization , 2009 .

[8]  Linda Zou,et al.  Ordered mesoporous carbons synthesized by a modified sol-gel process for electrosorptive removal of sodium chloride , 2009 .

[9]  Zhuo Sun,et al.  Electrosorptive desalination by carbon nanotubes and nanofibres electrodes and ion-exchange membranes. , 2008, Water research.

[10]  Marc A. Anderson,et al.  Capacitive deionization as an electrochemical means of saving energy and delivering clean water. Comparison to present desalination practices: Will it compete? , 2010 .

[11]  C. Tsouris,et al.  Mesoporous carbon for capacitive deionization of saline water. , 2011, Environmental science & technology.

[12]  V. Ruiz,et al.  Capacitive Deionization of NaCl Solutions with Modified Activated Carbon Electrodes , 2010 .

[13]  Linda Zou,et al.  Using mesoporous carbon electrodes for brackish water desalination. , 2008, Water research.

[14]  Jae-Hwan Choi,et al.  Improvement of desalination efficiency in capacitive deionization using a carbon electrode coated with an ion-exchange polymer. , 2010, Water research.

[15]  Chi-Woo Lee,et al.  Desalination of a thermal power plant wastewater by membrane capacitive deionization , 2006 .

[16]  M. Yüksel,et al.  Removal of nitrate from aqueous solution by nitrate selective ion exchange resins , 2006 .

[17]  Feiyu Kang,et al.  Relation between the charge efficiency of activated carbon fiber and its desalination performance. , 2012, Langmuir : the ACS journal of surfaces and colloids.

[18]  Y. Oren,et al.  Capacitive deionization (CDI) for desalination and water treatment — past, present and future (a review) , 2008 .

[19]  Linda Zou,et al.  Graphene nanosheets reduced by a multi-step process as high-performance electrode material for capacitive deionisation , 2012 .

[20]  Zhuo Sun,et al.  A comparative study on electrosorptive behavior of carbon nanotubes and graphene for capacitive deionization , 2011 .

[21]  Linda Zou,et al.  Using graphene nano-flakes as electrodes to remove ferric ions by capacitive deionization , 2010 .

[22]  Jae-Hwan Choi,et al.  Fabrication of a carbon electrode using activated carbon powder and application to the capacitive deionization process , 2010 .

[23]  Jong-Ho Kim,et al.  Role of titania incorporated on activated carbon cloth for capacitive deionization of NaCl solution. , 2003, Journal of colloid and interface science.

[24]  Doron Aurbach,et al.  The feasibility of boron removal from water by capacitive deionization , 2011 .

[25]  C. Harland.  Ion exchange : theory and practice , 1994 .

[26]  P. M. Biesheuvel,et al.  Charge Efficiency: A Functional Tool to Probe the Double-Layer Structure Inside of Porous Electrodes and Application in the Modeling of Capacitive Deionization , 2010 .

[27]  Linda Zou,et al.  A study of the capacitive deionisation performance under various operational conditions. , 2012, Journal of hazardous materials.

[28]  Xiaowei Sun,et al.  Kinetic and isotherm studies on the electrosorption of NaCl from aqueous solutions by activated carbon electrodes , 2011 .

[29]  Seung-Hyeon Moon,et al.  Investigation on removal of hardness ions by capacitive deionization (CDI) for water softening applications. , 2010, Water research.

[30]  Linda Zou,et al.  Single-walled carbon nanotubes and polyaniline composites for capacitive deionization , 2012 .

[31]  P. M. Biesheuvel,et al.  Theory of membrane capacitive deionization including the effect of the electrode pore space. , 2011, Journal of colloid and interface science.

[32]  C. F. Schutte,et al.  Capacitive Deionization Technology™: An alternative desalination solution , 2005 .

[33]  Marc Andelman,et al.  Flow Through Capacitor basics , 2011 .

[34]  Jae-Hwan Choi,et al.  Improvement in the capacitance of a carbon electrode prepared using water-soluble polymer binder for a capacitive deionization application , 2010 .

[35]  B. Conway.  Electrochemical Supercapacitors: Scientific Fundamentals and Technological Applications , 1999 .

[36]  Jae-Hwan Choi,et al.  Enhanced desalination efficiency in capacitive deionization with an ion-selective membrane , 2010 .

[37]  Pei Xu,et al.  Treatment of brackish produced water using carbon aerogel-based capacitive deionization technology. , 2008, Water research.