Boundary layer separation method for recycling of sodium ions from industrial wastewater.

The most effective technological solution for waste treatment is recycling. We have developed a new method for the treatment of industrial wastewaters and have called it the boundary layer separation method (BLSM). We have used the phenomenon that, on the surface of an electrically charged electrode, ions can be enriched in the boundary layer, as compared with the inside of the phase. The essence of the method is that, with an appropriately chosen velocity, the boundary layer can be removed from the wastewater, and the boundary layer, which is rich in ions, can be recycled. The BLSM can be executed as a cyclic procedure. The capacitance of the boundary layer was examined. The best mass transport can be achieved with the use of 1000 and 1200 mV polarization potentials in the examined system, with its value being 1200 mg/m2 per cycle. The necessary operation times were determined by the examination of the velocity of the electrochemical processes. When using 1000 mV polarization potential, the necessary adsorption time is at least 25 seconds, and the desorption time at least 300 seconds. The advantage of the procedure is that it does not use dangerous chemicals, only inert electrodes. The drawback is that it is not selective to ions, the achievable separation in one step is low, and the hydrogen that emerges during the electrolysis might be dangerous.

Analysis and Modeling of Boundary Layer Separation Method (BLSM).

Nowadays rules of environmental protection strictly regulate pollution material emission into environment. To keep the environmental protection laws recycling is one of the useful methods of waste material treatment. We have developed a new method for the treatment of industrial waste water and named it boundary layer separation method (BLSM). We apply the phenomena that ions can be enriched in the boundary layer of the electrically charged electrode surface compared to the bulk liquid phase. The main point of the method is that the boundary layer at correctly chosen movement velocity can be taken out of the waste water without being damaged, and the ion-enriched boundary layer can be recycled. Electrosorption is a surface phenomenon. It can be used with high efficiency in case of large electrochemically active surface of electrodes. During our research work two high surface area nickel electrodes have been prepared. The value of electrochemically active surface area of electrodes has been estimated. The existence of diffusion part of the double layer has been experimentally approved. The electrical double layer capacity has been determined. Ion transport by boundary layer separation has been introduced. Finally we have tried to estimate the relative significance of physical adsorption and electrosorption.