IP Library Granted Patent US 7,300,591
Granted Patent B2
US 7,300,591 · App. 10/481,129 · Granted Nov 27, 2007

Wastewater treating method and wastewater treating apparatus

Assignee: Sanyo Electronic Co., Ltd.
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,300,591
App. No.
10/481,129
Granted
Nov 27, 2007
Kind
B2
Abstract

There is here disclosed a wastewater treating technique for treating nitrogen compounds in a for-treatment wastewater by an electrochemical technique, wherein at least portions of a pair of electrodes is immersed in the for-treatment wastewater; a material of one electrode constituting an anode is an insoluble conductor; and a material of the other electrode constituting a cathode is an element in the group VIII of the periodic table, a conductor containing the element in the group VIII, or a conductor covered with the element in the same group or the conductor containing the element in the same group.

Claims (62)

1. A wastewater treating method for treating nitrogen compounds in a for-treatment wastewater by an electrochemical technique comprising:

an ammonia removal treatment step of removing ammonia nitrogen produced in the for-treatment wastewater from the for-treatment wastewater, and

a phosphorus removal treatment step of switching polarities of the electrodes to treat phosphorus compounds in the for-treatment wastewater by an electrochemical technique,

wherein

at least portions of a pair of electrodes are immersed in the for-treatment wastewater,

a material of one of the electrodes constituting an anode is an insoluble conductor, and

a material of the other electrode constituting a cathode is an element in the group VIII of the periodic table, a conductor containing the element in the group VIII, or a conductor covered with the element in the same group or the conductor containing the element in the same group.

2. The wastewater treating method according to claim 1 , wherein the for-treatment wastewater is partitioned into a region of the one electrode constituting the anode and a region of the other electrode constituting the cathode by a cation-exchange membrane.

3. The wastewater treating method according to claim 1 , wherein hypohalogenous acid is added to the for-treatment wastewater in the ammonia removal treatment step.

4. The wastewater treating method according to claim 1 , wherein the material of the one electrode constituting the anode is a conductor capable of generating hypohalogenous acid, ozone or active oxygen by an electrochemical technique.

5. The wastewater treating method according to claim 4 , wherein after completion of the treatment according to claim 1 , polarities of the electrodes are switched, and phosphorus compounds in the for-treatment wastewater are treated by an electrochemical technique.

6. A wastewater treating method for treating nitrogen compounds in a for-treatment wastewater, wherein the for-treatment wastewater is partitioned into one region and the other region by a cation-exchange membrane, the method comprising:

a first treatment step in which at least a portion of a first electrode is immersed in the one region; at least a portion of a second electrode is immersed in the other region; the first electrode constituting an anode is a conductor; a material of the second electrode constituting a cathode is an element in the group VIII of the periodic table, a conductor containing the element in the group VIII, or a conductor covered with the element in the same group or the conductor containing the element in the same group; and the for-treatment wastewater is treated by an electrochemical technique, and

a second treatment step in which at least a portion of a third electrode is immersed in the other region; a material of the third electrode is a conductor capable of generating hypohalogenous acid, ozone or active oxygen by an electrochemical technique; the third electrode is used as the anode; the first electrode is used as the cathode; and the for-treatment wastewater treated by the first treatment step is treated by the electrochemical technique.

7. The wastewater treating method according to claim 6 , further comprising a third treatment step in which after completion of the second treatment step, the second electrode is used as the anode; the first electrode is used as the cathode; and phosphorus compounds in the for-treatment wastewater are treated by the electrochemical technique.

8. The wastewater treating method according to claim 4 , 5 , 6 or 7 , wherein the conductor capable of generating hypohalogenous acid, ozone or active oxygen by the electrochemical technique is a noble metal, a conductor covered with the noble metal, a ceramic conductor, a carbon-based conductor or a stainless steel.

9. The wastewater treating method according to claim 8 , wherein the ceramic conductor is a ferrite.

10. A wastewater treating apparatus for treating nitrogen compounds in a for-treatment wastewater, comprising a pair of electrodes which is at least partially immersed in the for-treatment wastewater and means for switching polarities of the electrodes to treat phosphorus compounds in the for-treatment wastewater by an electrochemical technique,

wherein a material of one of the electrodes is an insoluble conductor; a material of the other electrode is an element in the group VIII of the periodic table, a conductor containing the element in the group VIII, or a conductor covered with the element in the same group or the conductor containing the element in the same group; and

the one electrode is used as an anode; the other electrode is used as a cathode; and the for-treatment wastewater is treated by an electrochemical technique.

11. The wastewater treating apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the material of the one electrode is a conductor capable of generating hypohalogenous acid, ozone or active oxygen by an electrochemical technique.

12. A wastewater treating apparatus for treating nitrogen compounds in a for-treatment wastewater, comprising:

a cation-exchange membrane for partitioning the for-treatment wastewater into one region and the other region,

a first electrode which is at least partially immersed in the one region, and

a second electrode and a third electrode which are at least partially immersed in the other region,

wherein a material of the first electrode is a conductor; a material of the second electrode is an element in the group VIII of the periodic table, a conductor containing the element in the group VIII, or a conductor covered with the element in the same group or the conductor containing the element in the same group; and a material of the third electrode is a conductor capable of generating hypohalogenous acid, ozone or active oxygen by an electrochemical technique;

the apparatus being adapted to perform a first treatment step in which the first electrode is used as an anode; the second electrode is used as a cathode; and the for-treatment wastewater are treated by the electrochemical technique, and

a second treatment step in which after completion of the first treatment step, the third electrode is used as the anode; the first electrode is used as the cathode; and the for-treatment wastewater is treated by the electrochemical technique.

13. The wastewater treating apparatus according to claim 12 , which is adapted to perform a third treatment step in which after completion of the second treatment step, the second electrode is used as the anode; the first electrode is used as the cathode; and phosphorus compounds in the for-treatment wastewater are treated by the electrochemical technique.

14. The wastewater treating apparatus according to claim 11 , 12 or 13 , wherein the conductor capable of generating hypohalogenous acid, ozone or active oxygen by the electrochemical technique is a noble metal, a conductor covered with the noble metal, a ceramic conductor, a carbon-based conductor or a stainless steel.

15. The wastewater treating apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein the ceramic conductor is a ferrite.

16. A wastewater treating method for treating nitrogen compounds in a for-treatment wastewater, wherein

at least portions of a pair of electrodes are immersed in the for-treatment wastewater,

a material of one electrode constituting an anode is a conductor capable of generating hypohalogenous acid, ozone or active oxygen by an electrochemical technique,

a material of the other electrode constituting a cathode is a conductor containing iron, and

a surface area of a portion of the other electrode which is at least immersed in the for-treatment wastewater is set to be larger than a surface area of a portion of the one electrode which is at least immersed in the for-treatment wastewater; and the for-treatment wastewater is treated by the electrochemical technique.

17. The wastewater treating method according to claim 16 , wherein after completion of the treatment according to claim 18 , polarities of the electrodes are switched; and phosphorus compounds in the for-treatment wastewater are treated by an electrochemical technique.

18. A wastewater treating method for treating nitrogen compounds in a for-treatment wastewater, comprising:

a first treatment step in which at least portions of first and second electrodes are immersed in the for-treatment wastewater; a material of the first electrode constituting an anode is a conductor; a material of the second electrode constituting a cathode is a conductor containing iron; a surface area of a portion of the second electrode which is at least immersed in the for-treatment wastewater is set to be larger than a surface area of a portion of the first electrode which is at least immersed in the for-treatment wastewater; and the for-treatment wastewater is treated by the electrochemical technique;

a second treatment step in which at least a portion of a third electrode is immersed in the for-treatment wastewater; a material of the third electrode is a conductor capable of generating hypohalogenous acid, ozone or active oxygen by an electrochemical technique, when the third electrode is used as an anode; a surface area of a portion of the third electrode which is at least immersed in the for-treatment wastewater is set to be larger than a surface area of a portion of the first electrode which is at least immersed in the for-treatment wastewater; and after completion of the first treatment step, the third electrode is used as the anode; the second electrode is used as the cathode; and the for-treatment wastewater are treated by the electrochemical technique.

19. The wastewater treating method according to claim 18 , wherein an operation transfers from the first treatment step to the second treatment step, when ammonia and ammonium ions in the for-treatment wastewater have reached predetermined concentrations.

20. The wastewater treating method according to claim 18 or 19 , further comprising a third treatment step in which after completion of the second treatment step, the third electrode is used as the cathode; the second electrode is used as the anode; and phosphorus compounds in the for-treatment wastewater are treated by the electrochemical technique.

21. The wastewater treating method according to claim 16 , 17 , 18 or 19 , wherein a stainless steel is used as the material of the other electrode or the second electrode.

22. The wastewater treating method according to claim 16 , 17 , 18 or 19 , wherein as the conductor capable of generating hypohalogenous acid, ozone or active oxygen by the electrochemical technique, there is used a noble metal or a conductor covered with the noble metal.

23. The wastewater treating method according to claim 16 , 17 , 18 or 19 , wherein as the conductor capable of generating hypohalogenous acid, ozone or active oxygen by the electrochemical technique, there is used a ceramic conductor or a conductor covered with the ceramic conductor.

24. The wastewater treating method according to claim 16 , 17 , 18 or 19 , wherein as the conductor capable of generating hypohalogenous acid, ozone or active oxygen by the electrochemical technique, there is used a carbon-based conductor or a conductor covered with the carbon-based conductor.

25. The wastewater treating method according to claim 16 , 17 , 18 or 19 , wherein as the conductor capable of generating hypohalogenous acid, ozone or active oxygen by the electrochemical technique, there is used a stainless steel or a conductor covered with the stainless steel.

26. A wastewater treating apparatus for treating nitrogen compounds in a for-treatment wastewater, comprising a pair of electrodes which is at least partially immersed in the for-treatment wastewater,

wherein a material of one of the electrodes is a conductor capable of generating hypohalogenous acid, ozone or active oxygen by an electrochemical technique; a material of the other electrode is a conductor containing iron; and a surface area of a portion of the other electrode which is at least immersed in the for-treatment wastewater is set to be larger than a surface area of a portion of the one electrode which is at least immersed in the for-treatment wastewater, and

the one electrode is used as an anode; the other electrode is used as a cathode; and the for-treatment wastewater is treated by the electrochemical technique.

27. The wastewater treating apparatus according to claim 26 , further comprising means for switching polarities of the electrodes to treat phosphorus compounds in the for-treatment wastewater by an electrochemical technique.

28. A wastewater treating apparatus for treating nitrogen compounds in a for-treatment wastewater, comprising first, second and third electrodes which are at least partially immersed in the for-treatment wastewater,

wherein the first electrode is a conductor; a material of the second electrode is a conductor containing iron; a material of the third electrode is a conductor capable of generating hypohalogenous acid, ozone or active oxygen by an electrochemical technique when the third electrode is used as an anode; and a surface area of portions of the second and third electrodes which are at least immersed in the for-treatment wastewater is set to be larger than a surface area of a portion of the first electrode which is at least immersed in the for-treatment wastewater,

the apparatus being adapted to perform a first treatment step in which the first electrode is used as an anode; the second electrode is used as a cathode; and the for-treatment wastewater is treated by the electrochemical technique; and

a second treatment step in which after completion of the first treatment step, the third electrode is used as the anode; the second electrode is used as the cathode; and the for-treatment wastewater is treated by the electrochemical technique.

29. The wastewater treating apparatus according to claim 28 , further comprising means for detecting ammonia and ammonium ions in the for-treatment wastewater, wherein when ammonia and ammonium ions in the for-treatment wastewater have reached predetermined concentrations, an operation transfers from the first treatment step to the second treatment step.

30. The wastewater treating apparatus according to claim 28 or 29 , which is adapted to perform a third treatment step in which after completion of the second treatment step, the third electrode is used as the cathode; the second electrode is used as the anode; and phosphorus compounds in the for-treatment wastewater are treated by the electrochemical technique.

31. The wastewater treating apparatus according to claim 26 , 27 , 28 or 29 , wherein a material of the other electrode or the second electrode is a stainless steel.

32. The wastewater treating apparatus according to claim 26 , 27 , 28 or 29 , wherein the conductor capable of generating hypohalogenous acid, ozone or active oxygen by the electrochemical technique is a noble metal or a conductor covered with the noble metal.

33. The wastewater treating apparatus according to claim 26 , 27 28 or 29 , wherein the conductor capable of generating hypohalogenous acid, ozone or active oxygen by the electrochemical technique is a ceramic conductor or a conductor covered with the ceramic conductor.

34. The wastewater treating apparatus according to claim 26 , 27 , 28 or 29 , wherein the conductor capable of generating hypohalogenous acid, ozone or active oxygen by the electrochemical technique is a carbon-based conductor or a conductor covered with the carbon-based conductor.

35. The wastewater treating apparatus according to claim 26 , 27 , 28 or 29 , wherein the conductor capable of generating hypohalogenous acid, ozone or active oxygen by the electrochemical technique is a stainless steel or a conductor covered with the stainless steel.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 13, 2004
From: IKEMATSU, MINEO; ISEKI, MASAHIRO; TAKAOKA, DAIZO
To: SANYO ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 015799/0589 →
Priority Claims (4)
JP 2002-116094 · Apr 18, 2002 · national
JP 2002-172836 · Jun 13, 2002 · national
JP 2002-189934 · Jun 28, 2002 · national
JP 2002-263841 · Sep 10, 2002 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20040251212A1 · Dec 16, 2004