Utilizing electrooxidation for textile effluent wastewater treatment and simultaneous electrocatalytic hydrogen production: Transforming waste into energy and promoting water reuse in a circular economy context

Abstract

Textile effluent wastewater poses a serious environmental risk because of its high concentration of pollutants, which include organic compounds, heavy metals, and dyes. The present study investigates the technical and economic feasibility of hybrid water electrolysis performances. Specifically, real textile effluent wastewater was utilised to examine simultaneous abatement and electrochemical hydrogen production. The treated water can be recycled in the textile mill, offering the benefits of trash-to-treasure and cost savings through the circular economy. In addition to reducing the environmental impact of textile wastewater, the synergistic approach seeks to maximise its potential for producing hydrogen as clean energy. Here, the commercially available stainless sheet was used as the anode in the electrochemical setup system and the two-dimensional Ti₃C₂T_X MXene was used as the catalyst embedded cathode. The optimal electrode-electrolyte parameter settings resulted in an 83 % decrease in COD level and a degradation efficiency of about 88 %. The potential for widespread adoption in the textile industry is highlighted by the discussion of the economic viability and environmental advantages of using wastewater from textile effluents for pollutant degradation and hydrogen production. Hence, the energy estimation was looked at and estimated in order to evaluate the process viability. For instance, the hybrid electrolysis process uses a very small amount of electricity (0.825 kWh m⁻³ order⁻¹) and has an apparent operating current (30 mA/cm²). This work could serve as a guide for the methodical assessment and choice of hybrid water electrolysis using actual wastewater. The electrode's recyclability and reuse were proven for possible commercial applications. The stability of the Ti₃C₂T_X electrode over a wide pH range was investigated in order to produce hydrogen on a big scale at a reasonable cost.