Davidcamilo Ramírez Bustos’s scientific contributions

The production of sodium hypochlorite in situ is useful for the disinfection of water in aqueducts located in areas of difficult access; published studies on the optimum parameters of electrolysis for the production of sodium hypochlorite are carried out at laboratory scale. The paper includes the results of the evaluation of a prototype for the production of 22 liters of hypochlorite solution, the optimum operating parameters were identified through a design of experiments; the electrodes of the equipment are made of graphite with an anodic surface of 1868 cm2, the retention times, current intensities and the initial concentration of chlorides were varied. The iodometry technique was used to quantify the hypochlorite ion, obtaining 4.46 g.l-1 in conditions of 120 min, 80 A and 150 g Cl-.l-1 , with an energy efficiency of 42.58 mgCl2.(kJ)-1. According to the results in the statistical analysis of variance correlate the influence of each variable in the hypochlorite production and energy efficiency of the process.

Sodium hypochlorite has significant potential as a sanitation solution in hard-to-reach areas. Few studies have investigated the optimal electrolysis parameters for its production with volumes greater than 10 L. This study evaluated sodium hypochlorite production through electrolysis in a 22-L prototype and identified the optimal operating parameters. Tests were performed using graphite electrodes with areas of 68.4 cm 2 at the laboratory scale and 1 865.0 cm 2 at the prototype scale. A design for experiments with different operating times, chloride concentrations, and electric current intensities was developed. The optimal operating time, sodium chloride concentration, and current intensity at the laboratory scale were 120 min, 150 g of chloride per liter, and 3 A, respectively, leading to the production of 5.02 g/L of the disinfectant with an energy efficiency of 12.21 mg of Cl 2 per kilojoule. At the prototype scale, the maximum sodium hypochlorite concentration of 3.99 g of chloride per liter was achieved with an operating time of 120 min, a sodium chloride concentration of 100 g of chloride per liter, and a current intensity of 70 A, reaching an energy efficiency of 42.56 mg of Cl 2 per kilojoule. In addition, this study evaluated the influences of the chloride concentration, current intensity, and operating time on the production of sodium hypochlorite at the two scales, and formulated the equations showing the trends of sodium hypochlorite production and energy efficiency in the electrochemical systems. The 22-L prototype model for production of this oxidizing substance is promising for disinfection of large volumes of water in areas that are difficult to access.