Green-synthesized zinc ferrite nanoparticle-coated electrode for the electrocoagulation of Coomassie brilliant blue dye
Original scientific paper
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5599/jese.3642Keywords:
Synthetic dye, electrochemical dye removal, mild steel electrodes, cathode modification, spinel iron oxide nanoparticlesAbstract
This research focused on the removal of Coomassie brilliant blue G-250 dye from aqueous solution by an electrocoagulation process using mild steel electrodes. Mild steel was employed as both the anode and the cathode, where the anodic dissolution generated in situ electrochemically active coagulants that facilitated dye removal through coagulation and flocculation. To enhance the electrocoagulation performance, the cathode was modified by coating with green-synthesized zinc ferrite (ZnFe₂O₄) nanoparticles prepared using Saraca asoca leaf extract. The dye removal of 93.90 % was observed for the uncoated electrode and 95.75 % for the coated electrode for the initial dye concentration of 5 mg L-1. Further, it was observed that 80 % colour removal was achieved with a coagulation time of 50 min for the uncoated electrode and 30 min for the coated electrode. In addition, the energy consumption was found to be lower for the coated electrode (6.37 kWh L-1) compared to mild steel (8.50 kWh L-1). Comparative assessments revealed that the fabricated nanocomposite-coated electrodes enhance dye removal efficiency, offering significant advantages in terms of catalytic activity, pollutant capture, and process sustainability. The coated cathode improves hydrogen generation, which improves the coagulation efficiency and reduces the energy consumption.
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