South Ural State University researchers and Serbian colleagues have tested a flow electrochemical reactor to remove Reactive Black 5, a dye used in fabric colouring.
Lab trials fully decolourised the dye solution in 90 minutes, with performance largely unchanged after 15 cleaning cycles.
Next tests on real wastewater could inform compact treatment units for textile effluent.
Existing approaches for water treatment include filters, sorbents, ozone, membrane technologies and other methods, but many face limits such as consumable requirements, complex maintenance, high energy use or the need to dispose of contaminated waste, South Ural State University said in a media release.
The SUSU and Serbian team proposed using electric current for treatment. In the reactor, contaminated water flows through the system while active particles form on the surface of a special electrode and break down dye molecules.
For the reactor, the researchers used a multilayer electrode. One working layer was modified with holmium, a rare-earth element, which helped improve cleaning efficiency and maintain electrode activity during repeated use.
In laboratory tests reported by the university, a Reactive Black 5 dye solution fully lost its colour in 90 minutes. After 15 repeated cleaning cycles, the system’s efficiency was practically unchanged.
The researchers said the development could support compact units for removing persistent organic pollutants from water. The next stage is testing on real wastewater and further optimisation of the reactor design.
Fibre2Fashion News Desk
