Hardness Removal from Drinking Water Using Electrochemical Cell

Abstract

In this work, the removal of hardness was studied from tap water taken from Aljadriya municipal water network-Baghdad. A parallel plate electrochemical cell was constructed using two graphite electrodes as anode, and three aluminum electrodes as cathodes. The electrodes were connected to a power supply that provides direct electrical current to the cell. Results showed that a removal efficiency of 85% can be obtained at pH of 7.5and electrical voltage of 28.5 volt with retention time of 60 minutes. The high efficiency for hardness removal suggested that the electrochemical technique might be used as an alternative technique for hardness removal. Keywords: aluminum electrodes; electrochemical; graphite electrodes and water hardness ‫اﻟﻌﺴﺮة‬ ‫إزاﻟﺔ‬ ‫اﻟﺸﺮب‬ ‫ﻣﯿﺎه‬ ‫ﻣﻦ‬ ‫ﺑﺎﺳﺘﺨﺪام‬ ‫اﻟﻜﮭﺮوﻛﯿﻤﯿﺎﺋﯿﺔ‬ ‫اﻟﺘﻘﻨﯿﺔ‬ ‫اﻟﺨﻼﺻﺔ‬ ‫ﺗﻢ‬ ‫اﻟﺒﺤﺚ‬ ‫ھﺬا‬ ‫ﻓﻲ‬ ‫اﻹﺳﺎﻟﺔ‬ ‫ﻣﺎء‬ ‫ﻣﻦ‬ ‫ﻣﺄﺧﻮذة‬ ‫ﻋﯿﻨﺔ‬ ‫ﻣﻦ‬ ‫اﻟﻤﺎء‬ ‫ﻋﺴﺮة‬ ‫إزاﻟﺔ‬ ‫دراﺳﺔ‬ ‫ﺑﻐﺪاد‬ ‫ﻓﻲ‬ ‫اﻟﺠﺎدرﯾﺔ‬ ‫ﻣﻨﻄﻘﺔ‬ ‫ﻓﻲ‬. ‫ﺑﻨﺎء‬ ‫ﺗﻢ‬ ‫ﺧﻠﯿﺔ‬ ‫ﻣﻮﺟﺐ‬ ‫ﻛﻘﻄﺐ‬ ‫اﻟﻜﺮاﻓﯿﺖ‬ ‫ﻣﺎدة‬ ‫ﻣﻦ‬ ‫أﻗﻄﺎب‬ ‫ﺑﺎﺳﺘﺨﺪام‬ ‫ﻛﮭﺮوﻛﯿﻤﯿﺎﺋﯿﺔ‬) ‫اﻟﻤﺼﻌﺪ‬ (‫اﻷ‬ ‫ﻣﺎدة‬ ‫ﻣﻦ‬ ‫أﻗﻄﺎب‬ ‫وﺛﻼﺛﺔ‬ ، ‫ﻟﻤﻨﯿﻮﻣﻚ‬ ‫ﺳﺎﻟﺐ‬ ‫ﻗﻄﺐ‬) ‫اﻟﻤﮭﺒﻂ‬ .(‫ﻣﺴﺘﻤﺮ‬ ‫ﺗﯿﺎر‬ ‫ﻣﺼﺪر‬ ‫إﻟﻰ‬ ‫أﺣﺎدي‬ ‫ﺑﺸﻜﻞ‬ ‫اﻷﻗﻄﺎب‬ ‫رﺑﻂ‬ ‫وﺗﻢ‬. ‫اﻟﺘﻘﻨﯿﺔ‬ ‫ﻛﻔﺎءة‬ ‫دراﺳﺔ‬ ‫ھﻮ‬ ‫اﻟﮭﺪف‬ ‫ﻣﺨﺘﻠﻔﺔ‬ ‫ظﺮوف‬ ‫ﺗﺤﺖ‬ ‫اﻟﻤﺎء‬ ‫ﻋﺴﺮة‬ ‫إزاﻟﺔ‬ ‫ﻓﻲ‬ ‫اﻟﻤﺬﻛﻮرة‬. ‫ﻛﻔﺎءة‬ ‫إﻟﻰ‬ ‫اﻟﻮﺻﻮل‬ ‫ﯾﻤﻜﻦ‬ ‫اﻧﮫ‬ ‫اﻟﺒﺤﺚ‬ ‫ﻧﺘﺎﺋﺞ‬ ‫أظﮭﺮت‬ 85 % ‫ﻋﻨﺪ‬ ‫اﻟﮭﯿﺪروﺟﯿﻨﻲ‬ ‫اﻷس‬ 7.5 ‫و‬ ‫ﻛﮭﺮﺑﺎﺋﻲ‬ ‫ﺟﮭﺪ‬ 28.5 ‫زﻣﻦ‬ ‫ﻣﻊ‬ ‫ﻓﻮﻟﺖ‬ ‫ﻟﻤﺪة‬ ‫اﻟﻤﺎء‬ ‫اﺳﺘﺒﻘﺎء‬ 60 ‫دﻗﯿﻘﺔ‬. ‫أﻣﻜﺎﻧﯿﺔ‬ ‫اﻟﺒﺤﺚ‬ ‫ﻧﺘﺎﺋﺞ‬ ‫ﺑﯿﻨﺖ‬ ‫اﻟﻤﺎء‬ ‫ﻋﺴﺮة‬ ‫ﻹزاﻟﺔ‬ ‫ﻓﻌﺎﻟﺔ‬ ‫ﻛﻄﺮﯾﻘﺔ‬ ‫اﻟﻜﮭﺮوﻛﯿﻤﯿﺎﺋﯿﺔ‬ ‫اﻟﺘﻘﻨﯿﺔ‬ ‫اﺳﺘﺨﺪام‬. INTERDUCATION ard water is water of high mineral content specifically calcium and magnesium. Hard water is not a health risk, but a nuisance because of mineral build-up on fixtures and poor soap and detergent performance in addition to industrial risks. Fresh water from almost all sources contains some level dissolved minerals in H