Malaysian Journal of Analytical Sciences Vol 22 No 2 (2018): 249 - 257

DOI: 10.17576/mjas-2018-2202-09

 

 

 

OPTIMIZATION OF SELECTED CHARCOAL POWDER COMPOSITE ELECTRODE FOR ELECTROCHEMICAL TREATMENT

OF LANDFILL LEACHATE

 

(Pengoptimuman Komposit Elektrod daripada Serbuk Arang Terpilih untuk Rawatan Elektrokimia Bahan Larut Lesap Tapak Pelupusan)

 

Majd Ahmed Jumaah¹*, Mohamed Rozali Othman^{1, 2}, Jumat Salimon¹, Baydaa Khalaf¹, Wan Mohd Afiq Wan Mohd Khalik^{2, 3}

 

¹School of Chemical Sciences and Food Technology, Faculty of Science and Technology

²Centre for Water Research and Analysis, Faculty of Science and Technology

Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 UKM Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia

 ³School of Marine and Environmental Sciences,

Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, 21030 Kuala Nerus, Terengganu, Malaysia

 

*Corresponding author:  majd.ahmed88@yahoo.com

 

 

Received: 19 October 2017; Accepted: 29 January 2018

 

 

Abstract

Charcoal powders obtained from commercially available charcoal and the open burning of palm oil, rubber, coconut, and mangrove trees were used to fabricate composite electrodes in this study. A weight portion of charcoal powder, graphite, cobalt, and polyvinyl chloride (C-C^G-Co-PVC) were mixed in tetrahydrofuran (THF). The fabricated composite electrodes were then used as working electrodes for the electrochemical treatment of landfill leachate samples. A variable pressure scanning electron microscope (VPSEM) was used to examine the appearance of the charcoal powder. The results showed that rubber tree charcoal powder is the best charcoal powder for fabricating the composite electrodes, as it has various pore sizes and more surface area available for adsorption and reaction. Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) was performed before and after electrolysis of the landfill leachate. The results revealed that the presence of voids on the electrode surface before and after electrolysis improved the electrochemical oxidation of the landfill leachate, and yielded removal percentages in colour, COD, NH₃-N, and total P of not less than 80%, 91%, 73%, and 84%, respectively.

 

Keywords:  landfill leachate, charcoal powder, composite electrode, electrochemical method

 

Abstrak

Serbuk arang yang diperoleh dari arang komersil dan pembakaran terbuka batang-batang pokok kelapa sawit, pokok getah, pokok kelapa, dan pokok bakau telah digunakan untuk membina elektrod komposit berasaskan arang hasil gabungan serbuk arang, grafit, kobalt dan polivinil klorida (C-C^G-Co-PVC) yang telah dicampurkan mengikut komposisi berat tertentu dalam pelarut tetrahidrofuran (THF). Elektrod komposit yang telah dibina kemudiannya digunakan sebagai elektrod kerja untuk merawat sampel air bahan larut lesap melalui kaedah elektrokimia. Mikroskop elektron imbasan tekanan boleh ubah (VPSEM) telah digunakan untuk mengkaji sifat fizikal serbuk arang. Keputusan menunjukkan bahawa serbuk arang pokok getah merupakan serbuk arang terbaik untuk membina elektrod komposit dalam kajian ini kerana ia mempunyai banyak liang dan luas permukaan yang lebih tinggi untuk penjerapan dan tindak balas berlaku. Mikroskop imbasan elektron medan pancaran (FESEM) telah digunakan untuk memerhati permukaan elektrod yang telah disediakan sebelum dan selepas elektrolisis bahan larut lesap. Keputusan menunjukkan bahawa terdapat kehadiran lohong pada permukaan elektrod sebelum dan selepas elektrolisis. Hal ini membantu memperbaiki proses pengoksidaan elektrokimia bahan larut lesap yang telah menyebabkan peratus pengurangan warna, COD, NH₃-N, dan total P masing-masingnya tidak kurang daripada 80%, 91%, 73%, dan 84%.

 

Kata kunci:  bahan larut lesap tapak pelupusan, serbuk arang, elektrod komposit, kaedah elektrokimia

 

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