Electrochemical oxidation of polyethylene glycol in electroplating solution using paraffin composite

Electrochemical oxidation of polyethylene glycol(PEG) in an acidic(pH 0.18 to 0.42) and high ionic strength electroplating solution was investigated. The electroplating solution is a major source of wastewater in the printing wiring board industry. A paraffin composite copper hexacyanoferrate modified(PCCHM) electrode was used as the anode and a bare graphite electrode was used as the cathode. The changes in PEG and total organic carbon(TOC) concentrations during the course of the reaction were monitored. The efficiency of the PCCHM anode was compared with bare graphite anode and it was found that the former showed significant electrocatalytic property for PEG and TOC removal. Chlorides present in the solution were found to contribute significantly in the overall organic removal process. Short chain organic compounds like acetic acid, oxalic acid, formic acid and ethylene glycol formed during electrolysis were identified by HPLC method. Anode surface area and applied current density were found to influence the electro-oxidation process, in which the former was found to be dominating. Investigations of the kinetics for the present electrochemical reaction suggested that the two stage first-order kinetic model provides a much better representation of the overall mechanism of the process if compared to the generalized kinetic model.