H2 production by PEM electrolysis, assisted by textile effluent treatment and a solar photovoltaic cell

In this paper a new approach for H2 production by PEM electrolysis, assisted by effluent treatment in the anolyte is proposed. H2 is produced, in the catholyte, by proton reduction at a Fe-cathode, in an acid medium (1 M H2SO4). While in the anolyte, a mixture of Fe2+/Fe3+ is produced from the oxidation of an iron anode. The overall energy required (≤1.00 V) is less than that required by conventional water electrolysis, and is delivered by solar panels. In the anolyte, iron ions can be used in favor of a Fenton-type process, in the presence of H2O2. This approach is used in effluent treatment. The oxidation efficiency of dyes reactive black 5 (RB 5) and acid green 25 (AG 25) was investigated, in mild conditions, during H2 production. The main experimental results show that it is possible to oxidize 0.00024 M RB 5 or 0.0002 M AG 25 in the anolyte, in 20 min.