Treatment of Petroleum Refinery Wastewater by Electrooxidation Using Anode Composed of Composite Materials

Abstract

Wastewater discharged from an Iraqi petroleum refinery plant was treated in the current work utilizing an electrooxidation method made up of anodic oxidation employing an aluminum and graphite (Al-Gr) composite anode. The effectiveness of the anodic oxidation process was assessed by applying the response surface methodology (RSM-CCD) and using a batch-recirculation mode. Three key operating parameters were taken into account: time (30-120), pH (3-9), and current density (4-12 mA/cm2). The COD value decreased well, according to the results. A current density of 12 mA/cm2, a pH of 3, and an operating duration of 120 minutes were the ideal working parameters, resulting in a RE% of 96.1%. ANOVA results showed that the current density, with a 45.98% contribution, had the biggest impact on RE%, followed by time and pH. The anodic process demonstrated that it was possible to obtain greater removal efficiency while using less energy, highlighting the significance of applying electrochemical processes as alternative, environmentally friendly, and economically viable wastewater treatment methods.