Enhanced Cu (II) Removal by Iron-Graphite Electrocoagulation: Kinetics, Efficiency and Hydrogen Co-Production

Electrocoagulation (EC) process is an effective electrochemical method of heavy metal removal in wastewater.The removal of Cu (II) in aqueous solutions using Fe-Gr electrodes was studied in the present study in both batch and continuous modes.This was to determine the efficiency of removal of Cu (II) under different operating conditions, such as current density, pH, and treatment time.The originality of the work is that it uses Fe-Gr electrodes, which have the coagulant effect of iron and the high adsorption capacity of graphite.The electrode performance is better, and the removal efficiency is higher for Cu (II) and hydrogen production.The specific surface area (BET) of graphite electrode is 2.6 (m 2 /g).The experimental results showed that the pseudo-second-order model was the best fit to the Cu (II) removal kinetics, where R 2 = 0.98, which was higher than that of the first-order model, R 2 = 0.86, indicating a strong correlation.Graphite offers high electrical conductivity and chemical stability, which facilitates faster electron movement and improved electrode kinetics.During batch experiments, an applied voltage of 50 V and an inter-electrode distance of 3 cm led to almost total removal of Cu (II) in 25 minutes.A 90% percent removal efficiency with H2 produced was attained with continuous EC experiments at a flow rate of 0.3 L/min and the weight of sludge 12 g.H2 gas generation (0.152, 0.244, and 0.366 L/min) respectively.This study emphasizes the prospect of Fe-Gr electrodes in enhancing the electrocoagulation process of wastewater treatment, which is more economical and environmentally friendly in controlling the contamination of heavy metals.