Applicability of Electrochemical Oxidation Process to the Treatment of Petrochemical Effluents

Abstract

Electrochemical technologies are a promising alternative for the treatment of wastewaters containing organic pollutants. The main advantages of these processes include environmental compatibility, versatility, energy efficiency, safety, selectivity, amenability to automation and cost effectiveness. However, the effectiveness of the electrochemical approaches depends strongly on electrode materials and cell parameters (mass transport, current density, water composition, etc.). Then, the use of high performance anodic materials can achieve high efficiency and lower the operating cost. Therefore, several research groups are recently studying the applicability of the electrochemical technologies for treating real domestic and industrial effluents, with the aim of that a diversification of techniques must be sought, adapting the treatment to each situation, as much as possible. In this context, this work presents the results concerning to the application of electrochemical technologies to treat petrochemical effluents, emphasizing the new results obtained concerning to the use of direct and indirect electrochemical oxidation processes as an alternative to pollution abatement of effluents generated by Brazilian petrochemical industries.