

CHEMICAL AND ELECTROCHEMICAL TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION LABORATORY

Texas Tech University
Department of Chemical Engineering
Electrochemical Innovation for Process Intensification
SLUDGE / BIOSOLIDS
ELECTROLYSIS
Sludge Electrolysis

OVERVIEW
Sludge Electrolysis provides a safe and sustainable solution to nutrient recovery and waste management.
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Process utilizes relatively low-cost electrodes and energy to convert waste into valuable products
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No process waste is generated, as both the liquid and solid fractions are fully utilized: the liquid fraction for nutrient recovery, and the solid fraction for land application as Class A biosolids
Sludge Electrolysis Fundamentals

OVERVIEW
Nickel Behavior is studied to understand the kinetics of Ni(OH) -NiOOH redox transition, which is essential for optimizing the electrochemical system aimed at sustainable nutrient recovery from biosolids.
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Phosphorus Recovery as Calcium
Phosphate from Electrolyzed Sludge

OVERVIEW
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Optimization of parameters such as reaction time and calcium-to-phosphorus (Ca/P) molar ratio to maximize phosphorus recovery from the electrolyzed sludge supernatant
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Characterization of the recovered calcium phosphate solid (precipitate) to evaluate its potential as a slow-release phosphorus fertilizer
Volatile Fatty Acids Production Optimization

OVERVIEW
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Volatile fatty acids (VFAs) are produced by the electrolysis of biosolids in alkaline media
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After electrolysis, the supernatant’s is treated to allow the carboxylic acids to be in their free form for characterization