Electrochemical polymerisation of phenol in aqueous solution on a Ta/PbO2 anode

Noureddine Belhadj Tahar (1) , Ridha Abdelhedi (1) , André Savall (2)

1 ENIS - École Nationale d'Ingénieurs de Sfax | National School of Engineers of Sfax
2 LGC - Laboratoire de Génie Chimique

This paper deals with the treatment of aqueous phenol solutions using an electrochemical technique. Phenol can be partly eliminated from aqueous solution by electrochemically initiated polymerisation. Galvanostatic electrolyses of phenol solutions at concentration up to 0.1 mol dm−3 were carried out on a Ta/PbO2 anode. The polymers formed are insoluble in acidic medium but soluble in alkaline. These polymers were filtered and then dissolved in aqueous solution of sodium hydroxide (1 mol dm−3). The polymers formed were quantified by total organic carbon (TOC) measurement. It was found that the conversion of phenol into polymers increases as a function of initial concentration, anodic current density, temperature, and solution pH. The percentage of phenol polymerised can reach 15%.

Mots clés: Waste water treatments; Electrochemical polymerisation; Phenol; PbO2 anode

Domaines: Génie chimique; Polymères; Mécanique des solides [physics.class-ph]; Energie électrique

Noureddine Belhadj Tahar, Ridha Abdelhedi, André Savall. Electrochemical polymerisation of phenol in aqueous solution on a Ta/PbO2 anode. Journal of Applied Electrochemistry, 2009, 39 (5), pp.663-669. ⟨10.1007/S10800-008-9706-0⟩. ⟨hal-03563365⟩