Human urine electrolysis for simultaneous green hydrogen and liquid fertilizer production for a circular economy: A proof of concept

IF 8.3 1区工程技术 Q1 ENGINEERING, CHEMICAL

Desalination Pub Date : 2023-10-20 DOI:10.1016/j.desal.2023.117059

Kwangseop Im , Myoungjun Park , Mohammad Mahbub Kabir , Weonjung Sohn , Youngwoo Choo , Ho Kyong Shon , Sang Yong Nam

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

This study explores a novel process for hydrogen production and urine concentration using water electrolysis, employing a hydrophobic membrane and hydrogel electrolyte. The process utilizes a hydrophobic membrane to provide pure water from human urine, while simultaneously producing hydrogen through electrolysis, and concentrating urine for liquid fertilizer production. A suitable hydrogel electrolyte was developed, with polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)-based hydrogels and varying potassium hydroxide (KOH) concentration, showing efficient ion conductivity. The PVA-KOH 30 wt % hydrogel incorporating melamine exhibited promising performance in cell testing, achieving a current density of 204.35 mA/cm² at 2 V. Long-term electrolysis tests indicated sustained efficiency, although a decline in current density during 96 h was attributed to hydrophobic membrane fouling. Nonetheless, the hydrogel electrolyte demonstrated minimal fouling, successfully concentrating the urine about 5 times. This concentrated urine serves as liquid fertilizer, while the produced hydrogen acts as an energy source, and the oxygen can be recycled for use in a membrane bioreactor (MBR), establishing a sustainable energy cycle system.

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人类尿液电解同时生产绿色氢气和液体肥料，实现循环经济：概念验证

本研究采用疏水膜和水凝胶电解质，探索了一种利用水电解生产氢气和浓缩尿液的新工艺。该工艺利用疏水膜从人类尿液中提供纯水，同时通过电解生产氢气，并浓缩尿液生产液体肥料。开发了一种合适的水凝胶电解质，该电解质具有聚乙烯醇（PVA）基水凝胶和不同浓度的氢氧化钾（KOH），显示出有效的离子导电性。掺入三聚氰胺的PVA-KOH 30wt%水凝胶在细胞测试中表现出良好的性能，在2V下实现了204.35mA/cm2的电流密度。长期电解试验表明效率持续，尽管96小时内电流密度的下降归因于疏水膜污染。尽管如此，水凝胶电解质显示出最小的污垢，成功地将尿液浓缩了约5次。这种浓缩的尿液充当液体肥料，而产生的氢气充当能源，氧气可以回收用于膜生物反应器（MBR），建立可持续的能源循环系统。

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来源期刊

Desalination 工程技术-工程：化工

CiteScore

14.60

自引率

20.20%

发文量

619

审稿时长

41 days

期刊介绍： Desalination is a scholarly journal that focuses on the field of desalination materials, processes, and associated technologies. It encompasses a wide range of disciplines and aims to publish exceptional papers in this area. The journal invites submissions that explicitly revolve around water desalting and its applications to various sources such as seawater, groundwater, and wastewater. It particularly encourages research on diverse desalination methods including thermal, membrane, sorption, and hybrid processes. By providing a platform for innovative studies, Desalination aims to advance the understanding and development of desalination technologies, promoting sustainable solutions for water scarcity challenges.