Together with its partner Hillebrand Chemicals, the "Electrochemistry and Electroplating" department at Ilmenau University of Technology has launched a project on the electrochemical treatment of galvanic zinc-nickel wastewater using boron-doped diamond electrodes (BDD electrodes), which is funded by the Ministry of the Environment, Agriculture, Nature Conservation and Consumer Protection of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia.
The aim of the project is to gain a comprehensive understanding of the electrochemical processes during the mineralization of organics by OH radicals on BDD anodes in order to reduce the use of precipitation chemicals, some of which are questionable, and to make them more sustainable compared to the conventional treatment of galvanic wastewater. The picture shows the complexity of the topic. In order to achieve the objectives, an electrolysis cell is being planned which, equipped with various sensors, enables an in-situ water analysis of the progress of the mineralization of organic substances in the wastewater. The work program begins with initial tests on model wastewater, varying various process parameters such as I, V and volume flow.
