FIELD

The present disclosure generally relates to the field of electrochemical purification of water. Particularly, the present disclosure provides a method for electrochemical treatment of water in a flow-through reactor using an anode including sub-stoichiometric titanium oxide electrode material.

INTRODUCTION

With increasing occurrence of various microorganisms and anthropogenic pollutants in the environment, access to clean drinking water is a growing concern around the world. The quality of water available for potable use varies greatly depending on the source and active pretreatment processes. Varying characteristics of source waters make treatment difficult to control. Each constituent in water may have unique properties which dictate the type of treatment process used for removal (i.e., physical or chemical). The majority of commercialized water treatment systems do not have the physical and chemical capability to treat varying water sources because of their limited treatment capacities. In attempting to address these issues in home treatment systems, recent technologies have emerged involving the combination of membranes with advanced oxidation processes.

However, there still remains a need for an efficient, versatile, and cost-effective method of purifying water contaminated with various pathogens, metals, anthropogenic pollutants, and even some naturally-occurring materials.

SUMMARY

The inventors of the subject matter of the present application have developed a versatile, technologically effective, and cost-effective method of water treatment by using a flow-through reactor that utilizes an anode including sub-stoichiometric titanium oxide electrode material.

In an embodiment, a method for electrochemical treatment of water is provided. The method includes providing a flow-through reactor including a cathode and an anode, wherein the anode includes about 80 weight percent or greater of a sub-stoichiometric titanium oxide. The method further includes applying power to the cathode and the anode, passing a solution including water and a chloride through the flow-through reactor, and withdrawing the purified water from the reactor.

In another embodiment, provided is a flow-through reactor including a cathode and an anode, wherein the anode includes about 80 weight percent or greater of a sub-stoichiometric titanium oxide.

