Electrochemical approaches to environmental problems in the process industry

Electrochemical processes can provide valuable contributions to the protection of the environment through implementation of effluent treatment and production-integrated processes for the minimisation of waste and toxic compounds. As examples of effluent treatment, electrochemical reactors for removal of metal ions from waste water, anodic destruction of organic pollutants and new electrochemical abatement techniques for the purification of flue gases will be described. Further examples consider salt splitting by membrane techniques. As examples for production-integrated industrial processes fluidised bed electrolysis for metal recovery in the cellulose acetate production, the membrane process for industrial chlor-alkali electrolysis, and the electroreduction of dichloracetic acid are considered. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.