Recovery of acid and base from reverse osmosis brines: An electrochemical engineering solution adapted to UTE Desaladora Skikda station
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Date
2024
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NATIONAL HIGHER SCHOOL OF TECHNOLOGY AND ENGINEERING -ANNABA
Abstract
As demand for water increases, seawater desalination is becoming increasingly important, with reverse osmosis being the most commonly used method due to its high energy efficiency. However, the environmental impact of brine discharge is a challenge.The main objective of this project is to design an innovative modular device capable of simultaneously producing sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and hydrochloric acid (HCl) by an integrated process combining electrolysis and photochemical reaction, in partnership with UTE Desaladora desalination plant, Skikda. The system is adaptable to different production scales, starting with laboratory experiments. The work attempts through a parametric study to optimize the process using low-cost electrode materials while maintaining system efficiency and durability. The obtained results allowed the verification of the repeatability of the experiments of both electrolysis of synthetic brine and photochemical synthesis of hydrochloric acid, with a determination coefficient exceeding 92% and a correlation coefficient higher than 95%. The parametric analysis including feeding voltage, cell temperature, photoreactor stirring and electrolysis membrane type, demonstrated the existence of compromises between energy consumption and feeding current, as well as between the kinetic of the photochemical reaction and the dissolution of electrolytic gases in the reactor content. In terms of cell temperature, the positive effect attained a plateau at around 54°C, while N117 was the optimal separator for both synthetic and real brine recovered from the desalination station.