Effect of Opuntia ficus indica mucilage on copper removal from water by electrocoagulation-electroflotation technique

Abstract

Electrocoagulation-electroflotation (EC-EF) process assisted with the mucilage of Opuntia ficus indica (OFI) plant was investigated in order to enhance copper removal efficiency. EC-EF tests with aluminum electrodes were conducted for the treatment of a synthetic copper solution of 100 mg/L, to estimate the influence of the mucilage on removal of copper metal ions, aluminum and hydrogen Faradaic yields, settling process and specific electrical energy consumption. It was mainly found that: (i) copper removal efficiency reached 100% in < 5 min with 30 mg/L OFI mucilage at pH 7.8; (ii) OFI mucilage affected aluminum and hydrogen Faradaic yields at high removal efficiencies; (iii) copper sludge settling rate rises with increasing mucilage concentrations, and was enhanced by 15%; (iv) OFI mucilage reduced specific energy consumption at a fixed current density along with removal efficiency increase. Furthermore …