Evaluation of the technoeconomic feasibility of electrochemical hydrogen peroxide production for decentralized water treatment

Highlights

• Gas diffusion electrode (GDE) is a suitable setup for practical water treatment.

• Electrochemical H₂O₂ production is an economically competitive technology.

• High current efficiency of H₂O₂ production was obtained with GDE at 5–400 mA/cm².

• GDE maintained high stability for H₂O₂ production for ~1000 h.

• Electro-generation of H₂O₂ enhances ibuprofen removal in an E-peroxone process.

Abstract

This study evaluated the feasibility of electrochemical hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) production with gas diffusion electrode (GDE) for decentralized water treatment. Carbon black-polytetrafluoroethylene GDEs were prepared and tested in a continuous flow electrochemical cell for H₂O₂ production from oxygen reduction. Results showed that because of the effective oxygen transfer in GDEs, the electrode maintained high apparent current efficiencies (ACEs,>80%) for H₂O₂ production over a wide current density range of 5–400 mA/cm², and H₂O₂ production rates as high as ~202 mg/h/cm² could be obtained. Long-term stability test showed that the GDE maintained high ACEs (>85%) and low energy consumption (<10 kWh/kg H₂O₂) for H₂O₂ production for 42 d (~1000 h). However, the ACEs then decreased to ~70% in the following 4 days because water flooding of GDE pores considerably impeded oxygen transport at the late stage of the trial. Based on an electrode lifetime of 46 days, the overall cost for H₂O₂ production was estimated to be ~0.88 $/kg H₂O₂, including an electricity cost of 0.61 $/kg and an electrode capital cost of 0.27 $/kg. With a 9 cm² GDE and 40 mA/cm² current density, ~2–4 mg/L of H₂O₂ could be produced on site for the electro-peroxone treatment of a 1.2 m³/d groundwater flow, which considerably enhanced ibuprofen abatement compared with ozonation alone (~43%–59% vs. 7%). These findings suggest that electrochemical H₂O₂ production with GDEs holds great promise for the development of compact treatment technologies for decentralized water treatment at a household and community level.

Graphical abstract

Keywords

Advanced oxidation process / Electro-peroxone / Gas diffusion electrode / Hydrogen peroxide / Oxygen reduction

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Acknowledgements

This study is funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 51878370), the National Special Program of Water Pollution Control and Management (No. 2017ZX07202), and the special fund of State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control (No. 18L01ESPC).

Electronic Supplementary material

Supplementary material is available in the online version of this article at https://doi.org/10.1007/s11783-020-1293-2 and is accessible for authorized users.

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