Seawater is the largest natural water resource in the world, it comes with different minerals. It passes through different treatments before use. There is an electrochlorination process used for cleaning and disinfecting water. Here we will discuss this process in detail. let’s get started.
What is electrochlorination?
- Electrochlorination is a chemical process that uses electric current to generate chlorine gas or hypochlorite, direct or indirect.
- This process comes with electrolysis of chloride solution or brine for producing chlorine gas through electrolysis.
- This produced chemicals used as disinfectants and bleach and used for water treatment, disinfection, and industrial production.
- Electrochlorination occurs in an electrolyzer that comes with two electrodes anode and cathode. If current passes through an electrolyzer, the salt compound solved in water involves electrolysis and produces chlorine gas according to electrolyte and current density.
- Electrochlorination commonly uses water treatment and remove harmful materials in water and is used for disinfecting drinking water, swimming pools, and other water-cleaning processes
How seawater Electrochlorination Performed
- First of all electrolysis cells are arranged that come with an anode and cathode and are filled with seawater. The anode and cathode are created with stable materials so as not get corrode with seawater at the time of the electrolysis process.
- DC curent passes through anode and cathode then is immersed in seawater. That causes to electrolytic reaction where salt in water decomposes in sodium hypochlorite and hydrogen gas. here is the equation form of this process
- At the anode : 2Cl- → Cl₂ + 2e- (oxidation):
- At the cathode : 2H₂O + 2e- → H₂ + 2OH- (reduction)
- Final reaction: 2NaCl + 2H₂O → Cl₂ + H₂ + 2Na⁺ + 2OH-
- Chlorine gas produced at the time of electrolysis reacts with water molecules and hydroxide ions in seawater to produce sodium hypochlorite and hydrogen gas. Sodium hypochlorite disinfects and cleans water
- sodium hypochlorite is used for water cleaning that also uses disinfection and purification of water.
Desalination vs seawater electrochlorination
Desalination
- Distillation is used for removing salts and impurities from seawater for providing clean water that can used for daily life.
- The commonly used desalination processes are reverse osmosis and distillation. RO process comes with a semi-permeable membrane for operating salt in water and distillation removes salt by heating seawater
Seawater electrochlorination
- This process converts the salt of seawater into sodium hypochlorite through electrochemical.
- Electrochlorination is done in an electrolytic cell where brine solution is electrolyzed through current to generate sodium hypochlorite and chlorine gas.
- This process not produce water that can used for drinking but produces disinfectant water that not have microorganisms and harmful substances in the water.
What are the disadvantages of electro chlorination?
- electrochlorination is involved in producing chlorine and hydrogen. Chlorine is harmful and corrosive so it can be a hazard and long-term chance of ballast water tank coatings. Hydrogen causes explosion risk.
What is the process of electrochlorination of brine?
- In this process, an electric current passes through saltwater resulting in chlorine ions in salt solutions oxidize and making chlorine in the form of gas based on the design of the cell and the process
What is the process of electrolysis of saltwater?
- If the current passes through a salt solution, sodium operates from chloride. Chloride is negatively charged and attracted to the positive side of charge where get mixed with oxygen and hydrogen in water
What is the chemical reaction of electrochlorination?
NaCl + H2O + energy → NaOCl + H.
Advantages of seawater electrochlorination
- seawater electrochlorination disinfects water. Sodium hypochlorite is made through the seawater electrolysis process that can remove microorganisms and harmful substances in the water.
- There is no need of external chemicals for water purification for this process. It means there is not chemical waste and not effect on the environment.
- it is a controlled disinfection process through setting instruments used intensity of water disinfection can be set according to requirements.
- Compared to conventional methods this process instantly generates chlorine gas that can used for the purification of water and does not need chlorine storage and transportation.
- It can best option for coastal cities where there is no other water purification process
What are the benefits of electrolyzed water?
- This water is used for wound care, oral disinfection, and avoiding contamination and cleaning of pet hair. hair salons, daycare centers pet shops also use Strong Acidic Water.
What are the byproducts of seawater electrolysis?
- Electrolysis of seawater produces hydrogen and oxygen gasses. But based on water composition and electrolysis conditions some other byproducts made are chlorine, sodium hydroxide, and hypochlorous acid
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