Treatment of Mineral Oil Refinery Wastewater in Microbial Fuel Cells Using Ionic Liquid Separators

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Treatment of Mineral Oil Refinery Wastewater in Microbial Fuel Cells Using Ionic Liquid Separators

Treatment of Mineral Oil Refinery Wastewater in Microbial Fuel Cells Using Ionic Liquid Based Separators

Hasna Addi, Francisco Mateo-Ramírez, Víctor Manuel Ortiz-Martínez, María José Salar-García, Francisco José Hernández-Fernández, Antonia Pérez de los Ríos, Carlos Godínez, El Mostapha Lotfi, Mohammed El Mahi and Luis Javier Lozano Blanco

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. 

Keywords: microbial fuel cell; mineral oil refinery wastewater; ionic liquid; polymer inclusion membrane; water depuration; electricity production

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.

Appl. Sci.   2018 ,  8 (3), 438; https://doi.org/10.3390/app8030438

Source: MDPI

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