Appl. Sci. 2018, 8(3), 438; https://doi.org/10.3390/app8030438
Treatment of Mineral Oil Refinery Wastewater in Microbial Fuel Cells Using Ionic Liquid Based Separators
1
Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Regional Campus of International Excellence “Campus Mare Nostrum”, Technical University of Cartagena, Campus La Muralla, E-30202 Cartagena, Murcia, Spain
2
Laboratory of Mechanics, Processes and Industrial Process (LM2PI), Chemical Sciences Team, Higher School of Technical Education of Rabat (ENSET), Mohammed V University in Rabat, Rabat 10100 B.P. 6207, Morocco
3
Department of Chemical Engineering, Regional Campus of International Excellence “Campus Mare Nostrum”, University of Murcia, Campus de Espinardo, E-30100 Murcia, Spain
*
Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Received: 15 February 2018 / Revised: 10 March 2018 / Accepted: 10 March 2018 / Published: 14 March 2018
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ionic Liquids for Green Chemical Technology)
Abstract
Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) are an environmentally friendly technology that can recover electricity directly from several wastes at ambient temperatures. This work explores the use of mineral oil refinery wastewater as feedstock in single-chamber air-cathode MFC devices. A polymer inclusion membrane based on the ionic liquid methyltrioctylammonium chloride, [MTOA+][Cl−], at a concentration of 70% w/w, was used as separator, showing a good efficiency in power production and chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal. The power and the chemical oxygen demand removal reached values of 45 mW/m3 and over 80%, respectively. The evolution of other parameters of the wastewater including nitrites, phosphates and sulphates were also studied. Kjeldahl nitrogen and sulphates were significantly reduced during MFC operation. The results show that mineral oil refinery wastewater can be used as feedstock in air breathing cathode-microbial fuel cells based on polymer ionic liquid inclusion membranes. This configuration could represent a good alternative for wastewater depuration while producing energy during the process. View Full-TextKeywords:
microbial fuel cell; mineral oil refinery wastewater; ionic liquid; polymer inclusion membrane; water depuration; electricity production
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Addi, H.; Mateo-Ramírez, F.; Ortiz-Martínez, V.M.; Salar-García, M.J.; Hernández-Fernández, F.J.; Pérez de los Ríos, A.; Godínez, C.; Lotfi, E.M.; El Mahi, M.; Blanco, L.J.L. Treatment of Mineral Oil Refinery Wastewater in Microbial Fuel Cells Using Ionic Liquid Based Separators. Appl. Sci. 2018, 8, 438.
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