A.Sahaya Raja, V.Prathipa

ABSTRACT

The removal of reactive dye from effluents by electrocoagulation has become an attractive method in recent years. This paper deals with the removal of the reactive dye Fast Sulphon Black F from an aqueous medium by the electrochemical method using platinised titanium, mild steel, aluminium, Copper and stainless steel electrodes. The effects of electrolyte concentration, initial pH, current density, electrode area, interelectrode distance, dye concentration, and treatment time on the decolorization efficiency have been investigated. The optical density of the dye solution was measured before and after electrolysis, and hence the decolourisation efficiency (DE) was calculated. UV spectroscopy has been used to investigate the nature of dye before and after decolourisation. The decolourisation efficiency is in the decreasing order Pt/Ti>Cu>SS>Mild Steel>Al. Key words: Electrocoagulation, wastewater treatment, textile dye, Fast Sulphon Black F, decolourisation efficiency.