Ind. Eng. Chem. Res.

2007, 46, 6189-6195 6189

Study of the Electrocoagulation Process Using Aluminum and Iron Electrodes

Pablo Cañizares, Carlos Jiménez, Fabiola Martı́nez, Cristina Sáez, and Manuel A. Rodrigo*
Department of Chemical Engineering, Facultad de Ciencias Quı́micas, UniVersidad de Castilla La Mancha,
Campus UniVersitario s/n, 13005 Ciudad Real, Spain

In this work, the electrocoagulation process using aluminum and iron electrodes has been used to treat synthetic
wastewaters polluted with three different types of pollutant models: kaolin suspensions, dye solutions, and
oil-in-water emulsions. It was obtained that both electrodes can achieve high efficiencies (above 80%) in the
treatment of the three wastes. However, there are strong differences in the electrochemical coagulation or
breakup mechanism that can be explained in terms of the speciation of the dissolved metals and especially
in terms of the significant concentrations of monomeric and polymeric ionic species that appear in the treatment
with aluminum electrodes. In every case, sweep coagulation explains the coagulation of kaolin suspension
with both aluminum and iron electrodes. However, in the case of aluminum, the neutralization charge
mechanism should also be considered for low reagent doses. The coagulation of EBT (Eriochrome Black T)
solutions and the breakup of O/W emulsions (oil-in-water emulsions) have been explained by the binding of
the pollutants to metal hydroxide precipitates. This binding is promoted for aluminum electrodes because of
the adsorption of cationic reagent species on the surface of the aluminum hydroxide.

Introduction either by destabilization or by the enmeshment of the colloidal

Conventional chemical coagulation consists of the direct
dosing of a coagulant solution to the wastewater in order to
reduce the electrical repulsion forces that inhibit the aggregation
of particles. In the chemical coagulation process, the addition
of hydrolyzing metal salts (of Fe3+ or Al3+) as coagulant
reagents is typical. The electrochemical coagulation method,
on the contrary, consists of the in situ generation of coagulants
by electrolytic oxidation of an appropriate anode material (e.g.,
iron or aluminum).1,2 Recent research in wastewater treatment
using electrochemically assisted coagulation has shown that this
could be a competitive technology with the conventional
coagulation process.3-11
Iron and aluminum have been widely used as electrode
materials in electrocoagulation systems according to the litera-
ture, because they are cheap and have been demonstrated to be
very effective on the electrocoagulation process. Depending on
the use, one of them is preferred. Thus, for applications that
are not continuous in time, aluminum electrodes are the best
choice,5 because iron can be oxidized easily and corrosion
problems on the electrodes are reported when the cell is not
connected. In this context, the use of iron as the electrode
material has another additional problem because of the color
of Fe(III) salts.
In this work, the electrocoagulation process using aluminum
and iron electrodes has been used to treat synthetic wastewaters
polluted with three different types of pollutant models:
• Kaolin, as a model of colloidal pollutant, since clays behave
as hydrophobic colloids in water. These compounds consist of
flat sheets of alternating layers of silicon oxides and aluminum
oxides, held together by ionic attraction for cations sandwiched
between the sheets. In water solutions, aluminum (+3) or silicon
(+4) can be replaced with sodium (+1), potassium (+1), or
ammonium (+1) ions, resulting in a negative charge of the
particle. This charge is responsible for the electric repulsion of
kaolin particles and, thus, for the stability of the colloidal
suspension. The aggregation of colloids can be accomplished
* To whom correspondence should be addressed. Tel.: +34
902204100. Fax: +34 926 29 53 18. E-mail: Manuel.Rodrigo@uclm.es.
10.1021/ie070059f CCC: $37.00 © 2007 American Chemical Society
Published on Web 08/21/2007
particles in a growing hydroxide precipitate formed in the waste
(sweep coagulation). From the theoretical point of view, two
are considered to be the main processes involved in the
destabilization of colloidal suspensions:12,13 the decrease in the
thickness of the diffuse part of the electrical double layer, caused
by an increase in ionic strength, and the neutralization of the
particle charge by the specific adsorption of counterions.
However, it is unlikely that a sufficient increase in ionic strength
would be a practical coagulation method.12 Hence, counterion
adsorption is considered to be the primary mechanism in most
coagulation processes. This process can be promoted by the
addition of monomeric or polymeric ionic reagents. In the later
case, the aggregation of particles can also be caused by polymer
bridging12 (adsorption of different functional groups of a
polymer onto different colloids).
• Dyes as a model of soluble organic pollutants. There are
many soluble organic compounds that can coagulate, ranging
from simple molecules like phenol14 to more complex structures
like dyes. The functional groups contained in the molecule and,
particularly, their interaction with the coagulant reagents can
explain this process for every particular case. However, in the
literature, a special attention is paid to dyes, because of the huge
amount discharged by different types of industries.15 This group
consists of colored substances with a complex chemical structure
(many functional groups) and a high molecular weight. These
compounds are also highly soluble in water and are persistent
once discharged into a natural environment. Thus, their removal
from industrial effluents is also subject of the major importance
from the environmental point of view. The removal of dissolved
organic matter by coagulation is widely reported in the
literature.16,17 Thus, two are supposed to be the primary
mechanisms for the removal of dissolved organic matter by
coagulation:12,13,18 the binding of the metal species to the anionic
sites of the organic molecules, neutralizing their charge and
resulting in reduced solubility, and the adsorption of organic
substances on amorphous metal hydroxide precipitates.
• Oil-in-water emulsions as a model of emulsified effluents.
An emulsion consists of a dispersion of one immiscible liquid
into another, through the use of a chemical reagent that reduces
6190 Ind. Eng. Chem. Res., Vol. 46, No. 19, 2007
the interfacial tension between the two liquids to achieve
stability. Commonly, this chemical reagent consists of an
amphiphile molecule that contains both hydrophilic and hydro-
phobic groups. In the case of oil-in-water (O/W) emulsions,
the reagent is frequently a mineral oil. As a result of the
adsorption of this reagent, the oil droplets have a net charge on
their surfaces, which causes repulsion forces between them.
These repulsion forces between droplets explain the stability
of the emulsions. As a consequence of the small size of droplets
in the dispersion, the macroscopic appearance of the emulsion
is that of a homogeneous liquid, although this mixture is really
a heterogeneous system.19 The destabilization methods involve
the addition of coagulant agents to the wastewater, which
promote the breakup of the emulsion due to the reduction of
the superficial charge of the droplets, causing the coalescence
of the oil droplets, and the subsequent separation of the aqueous
and oily phases by means of conventional settling or dissolved-
air flotation. According to the literature,19 the main destabiliza-
tion mechanism is the attachment of adsorbing macromolecules
to more than one droplet at a time (bridging flocculation).
Destabilization by nonadsorbing polymers can also be promoted
through the mechanism of depletion flocculation. The first
mechanism normally involves electrically charged species as
reagent, as these species can combine (by attractive electrical
forces) with the opposite electrically charged active sites that
are present on the surface of the droplet.
In this work, the aim is to understand the differences obtained
in the electrocoagulation of these three models of wastewaters
as a function of the electrode material. To do that, batch
experiments have been carried out under the same operation
conditions using iron and aluminum as electrode materials.
Results have been interpreted in terms of the species formed
during the metal salt hydrolysis. In addition, a study of the
dissolution of the aluminum and iron electrodes is also carried
out to clarify the role of the chemical dissolution on the global
electrodissolution process. As is known, and according to the
literature,20-22 the amounts of dissolved aluminum or iron are
not always in agreement with Faraday’s law. This work will
help to understand this process.
Experimental Section
Experimental Devices. The electrocoagulation experiments
have been carried out in a bench-scale plant with a single-
compartment electrochemical flow cell that can work in batch-
operation mode (Figure 1). Aluminum or iron electrodes were
used as the anode and cathode. Both electrodes were square in
shape (100 mm side), each with a geometric area of 100 cm2
and with an electrode gap of 9 mm. The electrical current was
applied using a dc power supply FA-376 Promax. The current
flowing through the cell was measured with a 2000 digital
multimeter Keithley. The wastewater was stored in a 5000 mL
glass tank stirred by an overhead stainless steel rod stirrer
Heidolph RZR 2041 and thermostatized by means of a water
bath, which allowed maintaining the temperature at the desired
set point. The wastewater was circulated through the electrolytic
cell by means of a peristaltic pump.
Aluminum and Iron Speciation. The characterization of the
hydrolyzed aluminum or iron species generated has been carried
out by the ferron method.23-29 This method consists of the timed
spectroscopy monitoring of metal (aluminum or iron) ferron (8-
hydroxy-7-iodo-5-quinolinesulfonic acid) reaction, to form a
complex of probable composition25 Me(ferron)3, which has a
maximum absorbance of 364 nm. Monomeric species react
almost instantaneously with ferron, whereas polymeric species
Figure 1. Layout of the bench-scale plant. Detail of the electrochemical
flow cell.
have a much slower reaction rate with this compound. The
particles of precipitate practically do not react with ferron.
Therefore, this method allows distinguishing among monomeric,
polymeric, or precipitate species.
The analytical measurement has been carried out by filtering
the samples using micropore membranes of 0.45 µm to remove
the particles of precipitate. Once the sample is filtered, an aliquot
is added to the volume of saturated ferron solution freshly
prepared (as ferron is not stable27) so that ferron is in excess, at
pH 5 in an acetate buffered solution. Immediately, the absor-
bance of the sample is monitored with time, until a constant
value is obtained, which is indicative of the end of the reaction.
By plotting the logarithm of the unreacted metal (aluminum
or iron) vs time, the ratio of hydrolyzing-metal species that react
quickly and slowly with ferron (that is, monomeric and
polymeric species) can be estimated. Extrapolation of the linear
parts of the curve to zero time yields information on the amount
of metal that is bound in complexes of different degrees of
polymerization.23-25 The measurement of total and soluble metal
(filtered with 0.45 µm) reports the ratio of soluble and precipitate
metal.
Experimental Procedure. Electrochemical coagulation ex-
periments were carried out under galvanostatic conditions. Prior
to every experiment, the electrodes were treated by rinsing with
a solution of 1.30 M HCl in order to reject any effect due to
the different prehistory of the electrodes.
For the electrochemical coagulation experiments, the pollutant
solution was pumped from the feed tank to the cell and then it
was recirculated to the feed tank. Samples were taken at the
outlet of the cell. After a time of settling (20 min in the case of
kaolin and 1 h in the case of EBT and O/W emulsions), different
measurements were made depending on the kind of synthetic
wastewater studied:
• In the case of kaolin, turbidity (using a 115 Velp Scientifica
turbidimeter) and pH (using an inoLab WTW pH meter) were
measured in the clarified liquid.
• In the case of EBT, samples were first filtered and then the
absorbance spectrum (using a UV-visible spectrophotomer
Shimadzu UV-1603) and the pH (using an inoLab WTW pH
meter) were measured for the filtered liquid. To estimate the

Figure 2. Variation of aluminum and iron concentration electrogenerated
in the electrochemical processes with the electrical charge passed in batch
mode operation: [, aluminum; 0, iron; s, values predicted using Faraday’s
Law; temperature, 25 °C; initial pH, 4.8; flowrate, 50 dm3 h-1; supporting
media, 3000 mg dm-3 of NaCl; volume, 1.5 dm-3.
removal of EBT, the absorbance at 550 nm (corrected by the
pH value) was measured (550 nm is the wavelength that shows
the maximum absorbance).
• In the case of O/W emulsions, chemical oxygen demand
(COD; using a Hach DR2000 analyzer) and pH (using an inoLab
WTW pH meter) were measured in the aqueous phase.
To determine the amounts of aluminum and iron electrogen-
erated by the applied current at the different operation condi-
tions, as well as the hydrolysis species formed for both metals,
several experiments were performed. In these assays, the
electrolyte only consists of NaCl, as well as NaOH or HCl added
for any subsequent pH adjustment (without any pollutant). After
the experiments, samples were monitored by the ferron method,
and aluminum or iron concentration, zeta potential, and pH were
then measured off-line. The aluminum and iron concentrations
were determined by dilution (50:50 v/v) of samples with HNO3
4 N and measured using an inductively coupled plasma Liberty
Sequential Varian according to a standard method30 (plasma
emission spectroscopy). Zeta potential was measured using a
Zetasizer Nano ZS (Malvern, U.K.).
To study the chemical dissolution of the electrodes, some
experiments were carried out in a batch operation using stirred
beakers. These beakers were initially filled with a solution of
chloride, at different pHs, and a piece of aluminum or iron was
placed inside. Samples were taken from the beakers, and the
pH and the aluminum or iron were measured according to the
methods previously described. The metal dissolution rates were
calculated after fitting the experimental data obtained in these
essays to the mass balance equations of the batch reactor. The
initial and final weights of the metal pieces were also used to
confirm the results.
Results and Discussion
Electrodissolution of the Aluminum and Iron Electrodes.
Figure 2 shows the variation of the aluminum and iron
concentrations electrogenerated in the electrochemical processes
with the electrical charge passed, compared to the expected
values if the process was purely electrochemical (assuming the
only anodic process is the metal oxidation).
As can be seen, the electrodissolved metal concentration
increases linearly with the electrical charge for both aluminum
and iron, and the experimental values are greater than the values
calculated if the process is considered to be purely electro-
chemical (according to Faraday’s Law). The differences ob-
served between the experimental results and those expected if
the process was purely electrochemical have been explained3,20,29
in terms of the chemical dissolution of the electrode surfaces.
Ind. Eng. Chem. Res., Vol. 46, No. 19, 2007 6191
Figure 3. Aluminum and iron dissolution rates as a function of the pH;
supporting media, 3000 mg dm-3 of NaCl. The onset corresponds to a
shorter range of pH for the electrochemical dissolution process using
aluminum as electrode material: [, aluminum; 0, iron.
To confirm this, Figure 3 shows the aluminum and iron
dissolution rates versus pH in a batch reaction system when a
sheet of 4 cm2 area (and 0.8 mm and 1.5 mm thickness,
respectively) is placed into a solution that contains sodium
chloride. One can observe the presence of a minimum in the
case of aluminum at close to neutral pH and that the dissolution
rate is several orders of magnitude higher at alkaline pHs. On
the contrary, in the case of iron, no minimum appears, and the
dissolution rate increases significantly for acidic pHs. In every
case, hydrogen bubbles evolving from the sheet surface were
clearly observed, especially in the conditions in which the
dissolution rates are higher. This observation is indicative that
reaction 1 is taking place for aluminum sheets and reactions 2
and 3 are taking place in the case of iron sheets.
2Al + 6H2O f 2Al3+ + 3H2 + 6OH- (1)
Fe + 2H2O f Fe2+ + H2 + 2OH- (2)
4Fe + 10H2O + O2 f 4Fe3+ + 4H2 + 12OH- (3)
The use of the same material to be applied as the anodes and
the cathodes is an important matter in electrocoagulation
processes, as it allows reversing the polarity of the cell, and
hence, this helps to minimize problems that arise from the
deposition of carbonate layers on the cathodic surface. In this
context, it is important to note that the chemical dissolution of
the electrode surfaces is promoted at alkaline pHs (for the case
of aluminum) and at acidic pHs (for the case of iron). As is
known, in each electrochemical cell, there is a pH profile
between anode and cathode.3,20 On the anode, the water
oxidation process generates a high concentration of protons,
resulting in a lower pH. On the cathode, the water reduction
process results in the formation of hydroxyl ions and, hence, in
a higher pH. This means that, in the case of iron-based cells,
on the anode surface is going to be promoted the chemical
dissolution, while in the case of aluminum-based cells, the
formation of coagulant on the cathode surface by chemical
dissolution is a subject of major importance. This was clearly
modeled for the case of aluminum in a previous work20 of our
group. According to this model, a pH close to 2.1 in the nearness
of the iron surface can explain the chemical dissolution of iron,
while a pH near 11.1 on the proximities of the cathode surface
in the aluminum-dosage process is able to explain the super-
faradaic observation.
Electrocoagulation of a Wastewater Polluted with Kaolin.
Figure 4 shows the influence of the electrodic material on the
6192 Ind. Eng. Chem. Res., Vol. 46, No. 19, 2007
Figure 4. Removal of turbidity, pH, and zeta potential for an electroco-
agulation assay of a wastewater polluted with kaolin in batch-mode operation
using as electrode material: [, aluminum; 0, iron; current density, 0.5
mA cm-2; temperature, 25 °C; flowrate, 50 dm3 h-1; initial pH, 4.5; kaolin
concentration, 1000 mg dm-3; supporting media, 3000 mg dm-3 of NaCl;
volume, 1.5 dm-3. (c) s, isoelectric point.
results obtained in the electrocoagulation of kaolin suspensions.
Great differences are observed in the turbidity changes with the
dose of coagulant reagents. In the case of aluminum, two zones
of high efficiency can be clearly discerned: one for low
aluminum doses (range 0.05-0.15 mmol dm-3) and another
for high aluminum concentration (range > 0.6 mmol dm-3).
Both zones are clearly split by a minimum in the turbidity
removal (∼0.35 mmol dm-3). On the contrary, the coagulation
with iron does not exhibit this minimum and only one high-
efficiency coagulation zone is observed. The pH increases in
both cases up to a value of 7. In the case of iron, the change is
very abrupt, while in the case of aluminum, there is a softer
increase. The major differences are observed for the zeta
potential. As can be seen in the case of aluminum electroco-
agulation, a zeta potential of zero is achieved close to the
concentration of aluminum in which the maximum of turbidity
removal is obtained. In the case of iron electrocoagulation, the
zeta potential is always negative except for the very high dosage
in which it is close to zero.
These observations have to be explained in terms of the
aluminum or iron species formed in the reaction system. In this
context, it is important to take into account that the aqueous
chemistry of aluminum and iron is especially complex, as it
involves not only monomeric ionic species and the formation
of precipitates but also oligomeric and polymeric species.
Figure 5. Aluminum and iron speciation (expressed as aluminum and iron
concentration) in a batch operation mode electrocoagulation assay: -×-,
monomeric species; -9-, polymeric species; -[-, precipitate; current
density, 0.5 mA cm-2; temperature, 25 °C; flowrate, 50 dm3 h-1; initial
pH, 4.5; supporting media, 3000 mg dm-3 of NaCl; volume, 1.5 dm-3.
Because of this large number of species, the quantification of
the hydrolysis rate constants, and even of the particular
speciation, is a complicated task, and there are significant
differences between the values reported in the literature.12,13,27,31-34
For this reason, in this work a simple but commonly used
method has been used to quantify the metal speciation. Thus,
Figure 5 shows the concentrations of the iron and aluminum
species measured by the ferron procedure in both coagulation
essays. It can be observed that, in both cases, precipitates are
the primary species. In the electrocoagulation with aluminum,
a significant concentration of monomeric ions are observed,
while in the case of iron, the concentrations are completely
negligible. Taking into account this speciation and also the
values of the zeta potential, it can be suggested that sweep
coagulation is the primary mechanism in the coagulation with
iron. In the coagulation with aluminum, two unconnected
mechanisms operate: for low concentration, the primary mech-
anism is charge neutralization by monomeric cationic aluminum
species, while for high doses, sweep coagulation with amorphous
aluminum hydroxide explains the results.
Electrocoagulation of a Wastewater Polluted with EBT.
Figures 6 and 7 show the results obtained in the electrocoagu-
lation of wastewaters polluted with EBT, using aluminum or
iron as electrode materials.
A similar behavior is obtained for both electrodic materials,
although the doses required to meet the same efficiencies are
lower in the case of aluminum and, in addition, the removal
efficiencies are slightly higher for this material (very close to
100%). Measured pHs and zeta potentials increase during the
treatment, and the values of the zeta potential are always
negative. Significant concentrations of monomeric and poly-
meric ions are measured during the aluminum dosage, while
the iron dosage does not exhibit the formation of these species.
Taking into account these observations, the binding of EBT
molecules to the surface of small iron or aluminum precipitated
particles can be suggested as the primary mechanism. These
precipitate particles can adsorb both the EBT molecules and

Figure 6. Removal of EBT, pH, and zeta potential for an electrocoagulation
assay of a wastewater polluted with EBT in batch-operation mode using as
electrode material: [, aluminum; 0, iron; current density, 1.4 mA cm-2;
temperature, 25 °C; flowrate, 50 dm3 h-1; initial pH, 4; EBT concentration,
100 mg dm-3; supporting media, 3000 mg dm-3 of NaCl; volume, 1.5 dm-3.
(c) s, isoelectric point.
Figure 7. Aluminum and iron speciation (expressed as aluminum and iron
concentration) in a batch operation mode electrocoagulation assay: -×-,
monomeric species; -9-, polymeric species; -[-, precipitate; current
density, 1.4 mA cm-2; temperature, 25 °C; flowrate, 50 dm3 h-1; initial
pH, 4; supporting media, 3000 mg dm-3 of NaCl; volume, 1.5 dm-3.
the coagulant ionic species. In the later case, this results in
positive charge surfaces that can enhance the adsorption of EBT
Ind. Eng. Chem. Res., Vol. 46, No. 19, 2007 6193
Figure 8. Removal of COD, pH, and zeta potential for an electrocoagulation
assay of an O/W emulsion in batch operation mode using as electrode
material: [, aluminum; 0, iron; current density, 2.2 mA cm-2; temperature,
25 °C; flowrate, 50 dm3 h-1; initial pH, 8.5; oil concentration, 3000 mg
dm-3; supporting media, 3000 mg dm-3 of NaCl; volume, 1.5 dm-3. (c)
s, isoelectric point.
by electrostatic attraction between the negative functional groups
of EBT and the positive adsorption sites of the precipitate. In
the case of aluminum, the concentration of these ionic species
is very important, and this explains the high efficiency and also
the lower dose of coagulant needed. On the contrary, in the
case of iron, the prevalence of the precipitate over the ionic
species reduces the binding of the EBT molecules, resulting in
a lower efficiency process. In this context, it is important to
note that, although no soluble polymeric or monomeric iron
species are found (according to the ferron procedure), it does
not exclude that they could be directly adsorbed on the surface
of the amorphous iron hydroxide.
Electrocoagulation of an O/W Emulsion. Figure 8 shows
the main parameters involved in the electrochemical breakup
of an O/W emulsion using iron or aluminum electrodes (the
oily phase of the emulsion is composed by a common lubricant
oil (REPSOL ELITE TDI 15W40 provided by REPSOL-YPF,
Spain) and a soluble oil (SOL 1000 provided by Molydal,
France)). Likewise, Figure 9 shows the coagulant species in
both treatments determined according to the ferron procedure.
The influence of the dose of reagent on the treatment
efficiencies looks like that observed in the case of EBT
electrocoagulation, although, in this case, the higher efficiencies
are obtained when iron is used as electrode material. The pH is
maintained almost constant during the treatments. On the
6194 Ind. Eng. Chem. Res., Vol. 46, No. 19, 2007
Figure 9. (a) Aluminum speciation in a batch-operation mode electroco-
agulation assay; (b) iron speciation in a batch-operation mode electroco-
agulation assay: -×-, monomeric species; -9-, polymeric species;
-[-, precipitate; current density, 2.2 mA cm-2; temperature, 25 °C;
flowrate, 50 dm3 h-1; initial pH, 8.5; supporting media, 3000 mg dm-3 of
NaCl; volume, 1.5 dm-3.
contrary, the zeta potential increases and there is a charge
reversal in the case of aluminum but not in the case of iron.
Precipitates are the primary species in both cases and only
significant concentrations of monomeric ionic species are found
for the treatment with aluminum.
In this case, the results can be explained according to the
same mechanism proposed for the EBT coagulation. Oil droplets
can be absorbed onto the amorphous metal hydroxide particles
formed during the treatment. The proximity of several oil
droplets can make them join (coalescence) and form a bigger
one. Because the surfaces of these oil droplets are negatively
charged, the presence of adsorbed cationic groups on the surface
of the metal hydroxide can promote the efficiency of the breakup
process for lower doses of reagent. This explains the lower doses
of aluminum required, as in this case a significant concentration
of monomeric species are detected in the system. On the
contrary, the higher efficiencies obtained for a high concentra-
tion of iron should be explained in terms of the neutrality of
the precipitate surface. This neutrality avoids the strong interac-
tion between the precipitate and the oil drop and then promotes
the separation of the coalesced oil drop from the precipitate. In
the case of aluminum, the strong electrostatic interaction can
favor that very small particles of precipitate with an oil drop
remain after the coalescence of the phase, and then they are
measured as COD in the aqueous phase.
Conclusions
From this work, the following conclusions can be drawn:
• Iron and aluminum electrodes can be successfully used as
coagulants in the treatment of kaolin suspensions and EBT
solutions. They can also be used effectively as reagents in the
breakup of oil/water emulsions.
• There are strong differences in the electrochemical coagula-
tion (or breakup) with iron and aluminum electrodes. They can
be explained in terms of the speciation of the dissolved metals.
Amorphous hydroxides are the primary species in both cases.
However, aluminum electrodissolution also yields significant
concentrations of monomeric and even (in some cases) poly-
meric ionic species.
• Sweep coagulation can explain the coagulation of kaolin
suspension with both aluminum and iron electrodes. However,
in the case of aluminum, the neutralization charge mechanism
should also be considered for low reagent doses.
• The binding of EBT to metal hydroxide precipitates can
explain the coagulation of this dye. This binding is promoted
for aluminum electrodes because of the adsorption of cationic
reagent species on the surface of the aluminum hydroxide. The
same mechanisms explain the breakup of O/W emulsions.
Acknowledgment
This work was supported by the MCT (Ministerio de Ciencia
y Tecnologı́a, Spain) and by the EU (European Union) through
Project CTM2004-03817/TECNO.
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ReceiVed for reView January 10, 2007
ReVised manuscript receiVed June 8, 2007
Accepted July 12, 2007
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