Evaluations of operating parameters on treatment of can manufacturing wastewater by electrocoagulation

In this study, treatment of can manufacturing wastewater (CMW) by electrocoagulation (EC) process using aluminium plate electrodes was investigated in a batch mode operation to obtain optimum operating conditions with minimum operating cost. Effects of operating parameters such as current density, operating time and electrode connection modes (monopolar series (MP-S), monopolar parallel (MP-P) and bipolar series (BP-S)) on removal efficiencies of aluminium (125.1 mg/L), zirconium (81.2 mg/L), and phosphate (PO43−−P, 32.1 mg/L), chemical oxygen demand (COD: 850 mg/L) and total organic carbon (TOC: 300 mg/L) from the CMW were evaluated. The results indicated that removal efficiencies of Al, Zr, and phosphate at the optimum conditions (20 A/m2, 40 min and MP-P electrode connection mode) were determined to be 99.41% for Al, 99.38% for Zr and 99.80% for phosphate, 72% for COD, and 37% for TOC in the wastewater, respectively. In addition, charge density, electrode and energy consumptions, amount of sludge and operating cost at the optimum operating conditions were calculated as 13.196 F/m3 or 1270.59 C/L, 0.1432 kg/m3, 1.366 kWh/m3, 1.674 kg/m3 and 0.366 €/m3. The results indicated that the EC process is very effective and efficient process for treatment of the CMW.