Eliminación de tetrahidrofurano en aguas residuales mediante oxidación electroquímica

Abstract

Because of the low biodegradability of tetrahydrofuran (THF), it is necessary to apply physical-chemical treatments for its removal from wastewaters. In this work, the electrooxidation of industrial wastewater containing THF has been carried out. An undivided electrochemical cell provided with boron doped diamond (BDD) anodes and cathodes has been employed. Industrial wastewaters with an initial THF concentration of 1000 mg/L have been tested. This work includes the analysis of the influence of the main process variables that affect the kinetics of THF removal: applied current density (300-1200 A.m-2), initial THF/ Chemical Oxygen Demand concentration (COD, 1.5-3 gL-1), electrolyte (NaCl and Na2SO4) and electrode material (BDD and RuO2). THF concentration was reduced more than 99% whereas Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) and Total Organic Carbon (TOC) were reduced more than 90% after 180 minutes of treatment using BDD anodes. Furthermore, the intermediates formed during the oxidation process have been identified and quantified allowing the definition of the THF transformation route to its complete mineralization.