Abstract

This study investigated the removal of phenol from steel industry wastewater by three dimensional electrochemical (TDE) process using CoFe2O4 nanobiocomposite based activated carbon in the presence of H2O2 (EC-CoFe2O4@AC-H2O2). In this study, CoFe2O4 nanobiocomposite-foundation activated carbon (CoFe2O4@AC) was used as microelectrode, adsorbent, and activator for peroxide hydrogen. The removal efficiency of phenol and COD was investigated through the parameters of pH, contact time, CoFe2O4@AC dosage, current density, and H2O2 concentration. The highest removal rates of phenol and COD were >99 and 98, respectively. Also, steel plant wastewater under the optimal conditions of pH = 6.5, current density = 15 mA cm-2, contact time = 25 min, H2O2 concentration of 1.0 mM, and CoFe2O4@AC dose = 0.3 g L-1. Kinetic analysis revealed that the adsorption experimental data was best fitted by the pseudo-first-order model. © 2019 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston.