Boron-Doped Diamond Electrode Performance in Cr(VI) Reduction Using Synthetic and Plating Wastewater

The goal of this work was to evaluate the effectiveness of iron and boron-doped-diamond (BDD) as cathodic electrodes on the reduction of Cr(VI) in synthetic and wastewater samples. The pH and electrolyte composition were varied, and the effect on the Cr(VI) reduction rate was measured. The optimized conditions from the synthetic water Cr(VI) reduction experimental data, were tasted on electroplating wastewater. The results indicated that both a pH of 2 and the use of NaCl as an electrolyte significantly increase the Cr(VI) reduction rate for all synthetic systems, especially the iron-BDD system. The Cr(VI) reduction rate in Fe-BDD systems was also affected by nitrate and sulfate ions. In the case of electroplating wastewater, Cr(VI) reduction by BDD cathodes was faster than with iron cathodes, achieving a complete reduction of 180 mg Cr(VI)/L in 25 min, with 40% less sludge produced. The elemental composition of sludge was analyzed using SEM/EDS and X-ray spectroscopy to confirm that iron and chromium precipitated out of the solution. The sludge had a chemical composition of (31.9%) Fe₂O₃, (29.6%) FeOOH, (21%) FeO, and (17.4%) FeSO₄. Therefore, BDD as an electrode material effectively reduces Cr(VI) in electroplating wastewater, and can be effectively scaled up to industrial applications.