FURI | Summer 2022

Engineering Electrified Water Disinfection via On-Site Electrochlorination

On-site electrochlorination appears as a promising solution since it produces long-lasting disinfecting species and does not require complex operation. This work investigates the impact of electrocatalyst selection on chlorine electrogeneration. Engineering figures of merit based on electrical energy requirement and productivity have been used to assess the most competitive electrode material among Ti/RuO₂, Ti/IrO₂, and BDD. The impact of operating parameters namely current density, chloride concentration, and cross velocity were evaluated using an engineered plug-flow electrochemical cell. Results demonstrate that Ti/RuO₂ is the most competitive electrocatalyst for sustained electrogeneration of active chlorine species reaching contents as high as 14 ppm of free chlorine in a single pass, which is enough to ensure water disinfection.