Siemens launches electro-oxidation technology for spent caustic treatment
Siemens has developed an electro-oxidation process to address the needs of refinery and petrochemical spent caustic treatment. This new process – Zimpro electro-oxidation – uses electrically conductive boron doped diamond (BDD) electrodes, enabling efficient oxidation of organic and inorganic compounds that are dissolved in spent caustic. The system's flexible, modular design is capable of treating highly-contaminated spent caustic streams typically generated by both refineries and petrochemical plants in producing clean fuels and chemicals. Treatment using Zimpro electro-oxidation produces an effluent that is amenable to traditional wastewater treatment processes.
The Zimpro electro-oxidation technology performs oxidation in a unique way, using electricity passed across BDD electrodes to produce oxidation reactions at near-ambient conditions. The oxidation potential is very high, allowing for polishing to end-of-pipe requirements in the wastewater plant. Unlike other advanced oxidation processes, no strong and expensive oxidizing chemicals are required to be stored on- site, and the oxidation reactions only occur when electricity is applied to the electrodes.
The heart of the Zimpro electro-oxidation process is based on a reactor that contains high-purity, electrically-conductive, solid polycrystalline BDD electrodes. These specialized diamond electrodes generate hydroxyl radicals that, when combined with the chemically inert nature of the synthetic diamond, provide a long-lasting, efficient electrode for challenging oxidation applications like refinery and petrochemical spent caustics.
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