DETERMINATION OF THE PERFORMANCE OF THE ELECTROCOAGULATION PROCESS IN THE TREATMENT OF WASTEWATER FROM THE CERAMIC INDUSTRY

The ceramic industry produces wastewater containing organic and inorganic pollutants. Traditional treatment methods are costly and complex. Electrocoagulation technology provides an effective treatment by precipitating pollutants through electrochemical reactions. In this thesis, wastewater samples taken from a ceramic factory in Kütahya were treated using the electrocoagulation method. The study considered current densities (1mA/cm², 2mA/cm², 4mA/cm², 10mA/cm²), electrode types (Iron, Aluminum, Iron-Aluminum), and different experiment durations (15 min, 30 min, 45 min, 60 min, 75 min), analyzing turbidity, suspended solids (SS), chemical oxygen demand (COD), and heavy metals. The results of measurements were compared with the Water Pollution Control Regulation (WPCR), showing that the treated wastewater met discharge criteria. When examining the effect of current density and electrode type on treatability, the best removal was found to be at 4 mA/cm² with an iron electrode. Parameters exceeding discharge limits in raw wastewater, such as suspended solids (SS), were reduced by 98.5% at 4 mA/cm² using the iron electrode. The Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) was diminished by 85.7% at 4 mA/cm² with the iron electrode. For turbidity removal, a 99.94% success rate was achieved using the iron-aluminum electrode at 4 mA/cm². Heavy metal analyses for Zn, Pb, and Cd showed concentrations below WPCR discharge limits. However, in further processed wastewater, the best Pb removal was observed with the iron electrode at 4 mA/cm², and the best Cd removal was achieved with the aluminum electrode at 1 mA/cm². The data obtained were from laboratory-scale experiments, and it is recommended that the method be tested in pilot and full-scale systems. This will permit an evaluation of the efficacy and suitability of the method in actual, real-world contexts.