Electrochemical hydrodehalogenation of 2,4-dibromophenolin paraffin oil using a solid polymer electrolyte reactor.

A new technology for remediation of halogenated organics-oil systems, which can cause serious environmental problems, has been demonstrated using the electrochemical hydrodehalogenation of 2,4-dibromophenol (DBP) in paraffin oil in a solid polymer electrolyte reactor. The reactor has been evaluated in terms of cathode materials and structure and the ratio of the cathode surface area to the solution volume. A cathode of titanium minimesh with a palladium electrocatalyst produced by electrodeposition was particularly effective. Current efficiencies of up to 85% and percentage of DBP removal of up to 62%, space-time yields of up to 7.6 kg DBP m(-3) h(-1), and energy consumption as low as 1.6 kW h (kg of DBP)(-1) were achieved. The reactor showed stable operation for periods of up to 170 h. The results demonstrated that electroreduction could be an alternative technology to electrooxidation forthe treatment of wastes and toxic halogenated compounds, making the process simpler in comparison to electrooxidation.