Development of MFC using sulphonated polyether ether ketone (SPEEK) membrane for electricity generation from waste water

• Published in: Bioresource technology 2011-12, Vol.102 (24), p.11167-11171
• Main Authors: Ayyaru, Sivasankaran, Dharmalingam, Sangeetha
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Bioelectric Energy Sources - microbiology; Biofuel production; Biological and medical sciences; Biotechnology; Dairying; Density; Diffusion; Domestic; Electricity; Electrodes; Energy; Escherichia coli; Escherichia coli - metabolism; ethers; Exact sciences and technology; Fluorocarbon Polymers - chemistry; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Industrial applications and implications. Economical aspects; industrial wastes; ketones; Ketones - chemistry; mass transfer; MEA; Membranes; Membranes, Artificial; Microbial fuel cells; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; oxygen; Oxygen - analysis; Permeability; Pollution; Polyether ether ketones; Polyethylene Glycols - chemistry; protons; SCMFC; SPEEK; Sulphonated; Waste Disposal, Fluid - methods; Waste treatment; waste utilization; Waste water; wastewater; Wastewaters; Water treatment and pollution
• ISSN: 0960-8524; 1873-2976
• DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2011.09.021

[Display omitted] ► The study established the use of SPEEK membrane as alternate for the Nafion® 117. ► Enhanced power production was observed with SPEEK. ► Low oxygen diffusion property, resulted in high columbic efficiency. ► SPEEK could be used in the MFC to overcome the drawbacks of Nafion® 117. Polyether ether ketone was sulphonated polyether ether ketone (SPEEK) and utilized as a proton exchange membrane (PEM) in a single chamber MFC (SCMFC). The SPEEK was compared with Nafion® 117 in the SCMFC using Escherichia coli. The MFC with the SPEEK membrane produced 55.2% higher power density than Nafion® 117. The oxygen mass transfer coefficient ( K O) for SPEEK and Nafion® 117 was estimated to be 2.4 × 10 −6 cm/s and 1.6 × 10 −5 cm/s, respectively resulting in reduced substrate loss and increased columbic efficiency (CE) in the case of SPEEK. When the dairy and domestic waste water was treated in SPEEK–SCMFC, fitted with a membrane electrode assembly (MEA), a higher maximum power density was obtained for dairy waste water (5.7 W/m 3). The results of this study indicate that SPEEK membrane has the potential to greatly enhance the efficiency of MFCs.