# Treatment of Comprehensive Wastewater from Chemical and Pharmaceutical Parks by Fly Ash-Coated Iron Electrode Electrocoagulation

Authors: Huajing Zhu; Zeli Chen
Journal: Advances in Materials Science and Engineering
 (2022)

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## Abstract

With the rapid development of the economic system and the continuous development of industry, environmental pollution is becoming more and more important, so wastewater treatment urgently needs to be strengthened. This article uses fly ash-coated iron electrode electrocoagulation method to carry out experimental tests on the treatment of comprehensive wastewater from chemical and pharmaceutical parks. Fly ash is used as a raw material to prepare a shaped adsorbent; in order to analyze whether the adsorbent has many potential applications in actual wastewater treatment and use. The experiment research of iron electrode electrocoagulation was carried out on actual groundwater, aiming to provide data and theoretical support for the utilization of fly ash and the optimization of comprehensive wastewater treatment technology. The article mainly conducts related research on title distribution, firstly the physical and chemical properties of fly ash, and secondly, discusses the related structure of electrocoagulation method, and solves the problem of comprehensive wastewater based on the combination of the two solving issues. Aware of the importance of sewage treatment and the characteristics of related treatment methods such as adsorption, membrane separation technology, and ion exchange, the advantages of these methods are also used for reference in subsequent experiments to achieve the purpose of reliable experimental results. The experimental results show that the effect of sewage treatment with fly ash with different average diameter particles is obvious. Among them, the maximum value of vibration grinding ash before and after application increased from 5.62 to 8.31, and the maximum removal rate is also 8.31; the removal effect is significant. It can be seen that the fly ash-coated iron electrode electrocoagulation method can have a great effect on the treatment of comprehensive wastewater in the chemical and pharmaceutical park.


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## Body

## 1. Introduction

China itself is a landlocked country, the per capita share of freshwater accounts for only 1/4 of the total global freshwater resources, and with the rapid development of industrialization and modernization, water resources have been polluted, water quality has declined, and water resources have become more scarce [1]. The eutrophication of water bodies not only harms the growth and reproduction of aquatic animals, but also leads to the destruction of aquatic ecosystems. It also reduces the useable value of water bodies and poses threats to human health and environmental protection [2]. The nitrogen and a large amount of phosphorus contained in sewage discharged from urban sewage treatment plants seep into slow waters such as ponds, rivers, and lakes, causing algae to multiply and grow, which is the main reason for the rapid acceleration of water eutrophication. Due to the late start of the sewage treatment business and the shortage of funds, the sewage treatment plant is facing huge economic pressure in upgrading and reforming. How to effectively use industrial waste fly ash comprehensively will help solve the country’s environmental pollution and resources for power generations. The contradiction of scarcity plays an important role, and it will also become an important strategic and technological decision in national economic construction [3]. Every day, 2 million tons of garbage are dumped into rivers and lakes in the world. Every liter of wastewater is polluting 8 L of fresh water. At present, almost all Asian rivers flowing through cities have been polluted. Even in developed countries like the USA, 40% of the freshwater resources are contaminated (waste, metals, fertilizers, pesticides, etc.).Adsorption factors include adsorbents and adsorbed substances. Among them, adsorbent is the most important and the basic factor of adsorption. Therefore, the influence of relevant adsorbents on the adsorption effect is very important [4]. Due to the high concentration of waste adsorbent and high adsorbent concentration in wastewater treatment, adsorbents are widely used to remove trace impurities in wastewater for deep purification, or to remove very high impurities in the sewage system. In order to achieve the purpose of recycling, recycling is the source. The adsorbent formed by fly ash has a positive effect on removing the skin and odor of domestic waste [5]. After the introduction of the coagulation method, the quality of discharge is improved and the pollution rate is greatly reduced. Therefore, the role of coagulation and adsorption in wastewater treatment has become more and more important. It will play a great role in the deep purification of sewage and resource recovery [6].The current research on fly ash-coated iron electrode electrocoagulation method focuses on the current success and the potential for future applications. It has been provided for promising research fields for various technologies. Research of Sandhwar and Prasad mainly focuses on the treatment of electrocoagulation, peroxy electrocoagulation, and peroxygen coagulation processes in the treatment of the main toxic components in wastewater containing purified terephthalic acid, benzoic acid (BA), terephthalic acid (TPA), and p-toluic acid (p-TA) and phthalic acid (PA). First, it is treated by acid treatment at different pH values (2–4) and temperatures (15–60°C). Through the central composite design under DesignExpert software, the H2O2 concentration (600–1,000 mg/L) and reaction time (20–100 min) during the processing of EC, PEC, and PC are effectively optimized [7]. Goyal et al.’s research involve the synthesis and characterization of BN nanosheets and the applicability of drug adsorption. In order to further understand the feasibility of drug adsorption on BN nanosheets and carefully examine the interaction between the two, calculations were performed in DFT formalism. Theoretical studies have revealed the existence of hydrogen bonds and negative adsorption energy are conducive to adsorption [8]. Devlin et al. studied the influence of sacrificial anode on the removal of chemical oxygen demand, total nitrogen, total phosphorus, and orthophosphate during precipitation. Evaluate the nitrification kinetics on the treated supernatant and monitor the biogas production on the settled solids. Aluminum and iron electrodes provide high orthophosphate removal rates. Compared with the removed orthophosphate, the estimated stoichiometric ratios of aluminum and iron are about 1.3:1 and 4.1:1, respectively [9]. Electrocoagulation is a promising technology for wastewater treatment. In this way, iron anodes are used for treatment at two different initial pH values. Jorge conducts Tafel studies in the presence and absence of dyes. In addition, considering the future application of this method in industry, the cost of anode consumption per cubic meter, electrocoagulation per cubic meter, and operating cost per TOC unit were evaluated to help determine the most effective conditions [10]. Seval introduced the results of electrocoagulation (EC) treatment of vinegar industrial wastewater (VIW) using parallel plate aluminum and iron electrodes, and analyzed the toxicity of the treatment process. The effects of current density, initial pH value, Na2SO4 as supporting electrolyte, polyaluminum chloride (PAC), and kerafloc on the removal of chemical oxygen demand (COD) were studied. The aluminum plate electrode can achieve a removal efficiency of 90.91% at pH 4, 10 mg/L PAC and a current density of 20.00 mA/cm2, while the iron plate electrode achieves a removal efficiency of 93.60% at pH 9 and a current density of 22.50 mA/cm2 [11]. Wagh and Nemade perform posttreatment on the washing liquid used in the anaerobic treatment of the winery with residual BOD (5000–15000 mg l−1) and COD (6000–43000 mg l−1), and further uses electrocoagulation (EC) for treatment. If it exists, further research is conducted on the use of a pair of aluminum plates for aeration. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) was used to analyze the oxidation of organic components present in the effluent and sludge. Based on COD removal and electrode consumption, first-order kinetics has been studied [12]. Yoshida et al. studied the removal of veterinary antibiotics by electrocoagulation for wastewater treatment in dairy farms. Electrochemical coagulation of three tetracycline antibiotics (TC) and cefazolin (CEZ; a kind of cephalosporin antibiotic) in synthetic wastewater was carried out with an iron electrode under a constant current. The results show that this iron-tetracycline interaction can achieve a higher TC removal rate. The removal rate of oxytetracycline (OTC) in dairy farming wastewater increases with the increase of charge, and reaches more than 88% at different temperatures [13]. Obviously, there are countless researches on the application of the ferroelectric electrode coagulation method in wastewater treatment, and these researches have also achieved considerable experimental success. However, their research is not enough for the detailed division of materials, and there is a single flaw in the research perspective. This research can avoid these problems.How to select high-cost raw materials according to the composition and characteristics of fly ash is an important issue in the comprehensive utilization of fly ash. Using ultra-fine ash as raw material, mixed with a certain concentration of alkali solution, makes it react sensitive under certain conditions and keep boiling. According to the nature of the powder, it is sometimes necessary to add a mixture or dry-pressed powder after aging to enhance the approximate strength of the powder. By comparing the deionization capacitance and desalination energy of different activated carbon electrodes, combined with the chemical, physical, and electrochemical properties of activated carbon, we can get the general characteristics of electrode materials that are suitable for adsorption function and alternative electrode materials for capacitive deionization are discussed. After extruding and synthesizing fly ash adsorbent, its adsorption effect on sewage color, pH, CODcr, ammonia nitrogen, and other major pollutants is investigated.


## 2. Material Basis of Water Pollution Control Methods

### 2.1. Water Pollution and Treatment Methods

As the world’s largest supplier and exporter of raw materials, wastewater treatment in the pharmaceutical industry is one of the most important industries that meet national environmental safety requirements. Under the global chemical industry cluster development culture, in order to conform to the new pattern of international industrial development and increase the growth of the industrial chain, the construction of park clusters is a new model for the development of the national chemical industry [14]. The concentration of pollutants is high, COD can reach tens of thousands of milligrams per liter, and the toxicity is high. In addition to pesticides and intermediates, the wastewater also contains toxic substances such as phenol, arsenic, mercury, and many substances that are difficult to biodegrade. In recent years, the chemical agglomeration industry has developed rapidly, and the centralized treatment and disposal of wastewater in the comprehensive park have become a factor restricting the rapid development and sustainable development of the chemical park. Pharmaceutical wastewater is one of the most common problems in industrial wastewater, especially the concentrated waste in antibiotic wastewater. Different pharmaceutical products and different manufacturing processes lead to huge differences in wastewater, which is obvious in many organic pollutants and complex compounds [15]. A large amount of organic matter discharged into the water body will cause anaerobic corruption, and a large amount of inorganic matter will increase the salt concentration in the water body, which will cause adverse effects on aquatic organisms, lead to deterioration of water quality, and cause serious harm to organisms. The most common wastewater treatment methods are physical treatment technology, chemical treatment technology, traditional biochemical processes, and many general treatment procedures. Most of the organic refractories contained in wastewater are highly toxic and triple effect. Once released into the water, it will accumulate in the water for a long time, and eventually accumulate in a large amount through the food chain, which is toxic to the human body [16]. Traditional pharmaceutical wastewater treatment methods include coagulation sedimentation method, flotation method, membrane separation method, anaerobic biological treatment method, aerobic biological treatment technology, and electrolysis method, among which the latest methods include microwave treatment method and ultrasonic treatment method.The traditional method of municipal water treatment is primary and secondary physical and chemical treatment, which has always been the primary treatment method of wastewater before biochemical treatment [17]. The water after the secondary treatment also contains some phosphorus, nitrogen, pathogenic bacteria, minerals, highly soluble minerals, and organic substances that are difficult to biodegrade and require further treatment. Due to the rapid increase in urban population and the decline of industrial and agricultural water use technology after developed countries, the shortage and abuse of spring water have caused great damage to the ecosystem. The stain also contains a large amount of heavy metals, which can remain in the area for a long time, and the general method cannot be removed normally, which affects human health [18]. Essentially, wastewater treatment in some industrial and mining facilities has caused a lot of water pollution. With the development speed of the system and the expectation of the negative impact of mankind on the industry, a series of environmental problems have been caused. Heavy metal pollution in water bodies is one of them. The pollution of rivers, lakes, and seas is particularly important, because the efflux of industrial wastewater includes “running,” “dripping,” and “burning” wastewater treatment. Untreated wastewater is dirty. Heavy metal pollution directly or indirectly affects the environment and endangers human health. It is necessary to vigorously develop cleaner production, treat heavy wastewater from the source, achieve the treatment and recycling of wastewater up to standards, and truly develop local economies [19]. Because most of the pollutants in pharmaceutical wastewater are organic substances with complex structure, toxic, harmful, and biodegradable, it causes serious pollution to water bodies. Wastewater mainly includes four categories: antibiotic production wastewater, synthetic drug production wastewater, Chinese patent medicine production wastewater, and washing water and flushing wastewater in the production process of various preparations. It is characterized by complex components, high organic content, high toxicity, deep chromaticity, and high salt content, and is a difficult-to-treat industrial wastewater.(1)
Activated carbon is not only the most widely used adsorbent, but also the most widely used adsorbent technically. This is mainly due to its large surface area, developed pore system, low cost, simple regeneration method, and superior treatment effect. Studies have shown that activated carbon not only adsorbs nickel ions, but also has outstanding effects on complex metals.(2)
Although the ion exchange method has a good removal effect, the heavy metals in the wastewater can be recycled, and the ion exchange method is not always used alone for wastewater treatment. It is often combined with other technologies to achieve recycling.(3)
Electrodialysis is to use the space effect to force ions to flow to the electrode, so that the ion concentration in the electrode intermediate solution is reduced, thereby purifying the water quality [20]. The difference from electrolysis is electroosmosis and high-pressure adsorption, the current is small, and the probability of oxidation reaction is small.(4)
Membrane separation technology refers to the use of membranes with specific properties to selectively permeate certain substances to achieve the separation of pollutants. Common membrane separation technologies mainly include ultrafiltration, microfiltration, and nanofiltration. Membrane technology conforms to the concepts of clean production and circular economy of modern environmental protection technology. More and more scientific researchers are committed to membrane materials, pollution cleaning, and research on service life.(5)
Flocculants are under development in the field of removing impurities in sewage. At present, electroflocculation technology is used to remove metals, colloids, suspended solids, and organic solvents discharged from wastewater [21]. When there are impurities in the solution, the removal process of impurities is not limited to the dispersion of the flocculant, and other chemical reactions may occur. Specific problems are analyzed in detail. Electroflocculation is a high-level pleiotropy. The specific regeneration device should be analyzed according to different worlds such as impurities in the solution, negative electrode material, and electrolyte. The anode material acts as the “electrode” that produces the flocculant, so the choice of anode material is a key step to increase pollution.


### 2.2. Fly Ash-Related Theories and Dynamic Description

Laodelphax striatellus is a common waste and a product of thermal energy materials. Its output is large and difficult to resist. Its negligence will have a negligible and significant impact on the surface, soil, water, and other fields [22]. Fly ash is a kind of solid waste with a good adsorption function. When used in water treatment, it can not only generate solid waste sources and increase the amount of addition, but also improve the wastewater treatment effect. Fly ash has poor carbonization resistance and poor heat resistance, and is suitable for above-ground and underground water, and large-volume concrete structures, steam-cured concrete components, and general projects with sulfate resistance requirements. At present, in addition to other industrial materials, fly ash is also widely used in construction materials, sewage treatment, agriculture, metal recycling, and other fields. Using fly ash as a raw material to prepare cheap and efficient ash adsorbents is one of the most feasible ways to use fly ash as a source of higher value [23]. According to the good adsorption performance of fly ash, the use of various transformation methods to transform fly ash or prepare shaped adsorbents has always been the focus of the comprehensive utilization of fly ash. And use fly ash as a raw material to modify or prepare fly ash additional adsorption products, so that fly ash can be fully utilized as a source, starting from multiple points to solve the problem of comprehensive use of fly ash. The relevant process is shown in Figure 1.Figure 1
The structure of fly ash powder with different particle sizes.As shown in Figure1, due to the different combustion methods and combustion processes of coal, different types of ash will be synthesized, and their particle size, mineral composition, and chemical composition will be different. There are a large number of large spherical particles and flocs in fly ash before grinding, and a large number of particles are in the range of 50–100 μm. It is difficult to find large particles in crushed ash, and a small amount of small particles are also dense spots. Larger fly ash masses are decomposed, exposing the passage through the ash particles [24]. Under the naked eye, the original ashes appeared in the form of gray powder. Observed by an electron microscope, the main forms of fly ash are scattered colored glass particles and shiny round particles with a large degree of looseness. After the fly ash is modified and shaped, the surface becomes smoother, and the particle structure is uniform in size and distribution. Ashes move in a specific surface area with a larger specific surface area and a higher surface strength [25]. Energy consumption is the most important consideration in the realization of industrial applications [26, 27]. The main basis for the use of fly ash to treat pollutants is physical and chemical adsorption. It also uses a certain flocculation-sedimentation and filtration effect to flocculate with pollutants to form large aggregate particles, which are then removed by precipitation. This process can be expressed as:(1)I=kπα∗i∇r∫fiπi+1mfi+1l∗i,I=I−i∀fiki+1.πi2∇fi4αli.Among them,α is the wetting agent, m is the number, r is the radius of the adsorption hole, and fi is the contact interface of the liquid. The calculation between flow rate and pressure difference can be expressed as:(2)fp=∑lol∇k−fpk−1o,il∑i=1i−1,δi−1=k⊗ϕii0mi−11/α−1coskr−12ϕf−1,Fo−1=o−lγolϑo−1=2m2fi−1ii0mϕfsink1ϕf.Microbial treatment is carried out by ferroelectrode electrocoagulation.ϕii0 is the liquid pressure, and the irregular arrangement of particles is represented by γo in the formula. The ions f close to the boundary layer ϑo−1 are different due to electrostatic action, that is:(3)1gi=1gx+1gy=miix+12i2iiom−1sink,go=3μssink2fϕi−11/fx−1−sink2fϕi−11/fx−11/20,whereiix is the differential capacitance in the structure, s is the charge, and gi,gx,gy is the inner tight layer. The characteristic adsorption process is represented by go.


## 2.1. Water Pollution and Treatment Methods

As the world’s largest supplier and exporter of raw materials, wastewater treatment in the pharmaceutical industry is one of the most important industries that meet national environmental safety requirements. Under the global chemical industry cluster development culture, in order to conform to the new pattern of international industrial development and increase the growth of the industrial chain, the construction of park clusters is a new model for the development of the national chemical industry [14]. The concentration of pollutants is high, COD can reach tens of thousands of milligrams per liter, and the toxicity is high. In addition to pesticides and intermediates, the wastewater also contains toxic substances such as phenol, arsenic, mercury, and many substances that are difficult to biodegrade. In recent years, the chemical agglomeration industry has developed rapidly, and the centralized treatment and disposal of wastewater in the comprehensive park have become a factor restricting the rapid development and sustainable development of the chemical park. Pharmaceutical wastewater is one of the most common problems in industrial wastewater, especially the concentrated waste in antibiotic wastewater. Different pharmaceutical products and different manufacturing processes lead to huge differences in wastewater, which is obvious in many organic pollutants and complex compounds [15]. A large amount of organic matter discharged into the water body will cause anaerobic corruption, and a large amount of inorganic matter will increase the salt concentration in the water body, which will cause adverse effects on aquatic organisms, lead to deterioration of water quality, and cause serious harm to organisms. The most common wastewater treatment methods are physical treatment technology, chemical treatment technology, traditional biochemical processes, and many general treatment procedures. Most of the organic refractories contained in wastewater are highly toxic and triple effect. Once released into the water, it will accumulate in the water for a long time, and eventually accumulate in a large amount through the food chain, which is toxic to the human body [16]. Traditional pharmaceutical wastewater treatment methods include coagulation sedimentation method, flotation method, membrane separation method, anaerobic biological treatment method, aerobic biological treatment technology, and electrolysis method, among which the latest methods include microwave treatment method and ultrasonic treatment method.The traditional method of municipal water treatment is primary and secondary physical and chemical treatment, which has always been the primary treatment method of wastewater before biochemical treatment [17]. The water after the secondary treatment also contains some phosphorus, nitrogen, pathogenic bacteria, minerals, highly soluble minerals, and organic substances that are difficult to biodegrade and require further treatment. Due to the rapid increase in urban population and the decline of industrial and agricultural water use technology after developed countries, the shortage and abuse of spring water have caused great damage to the ecosystem. The stain also contains a large amount of heavy metals, which can remain in the area for a long time, and the general method cannot be removed normally, which affects human health [18]. Essentially, wastewater treatment in some industrial and mining facilities has caused a lot of water pollution. With the development speed of the system and the expectation of the negative impact of mankind on the industry, a series of environmental problems have been caused. Heavy metal pollution in water bodies is one of them. The pollution of rivers, lakes, and seas is particularly important, because the efflux of industrial wastewater includes “running,” “dripping,” and “burning” wastewater treatment. Untreated wastewater is dirty. Heavy metal pollution directly or indirectly affects the environment and endangers human health. It is necessary to vigorously develop cleaner production, treat heavy wastewater from the source, achieve the treatment and recycling of wastewater up to standards, and truly develop local economies [19]. Because most of the pollutants in pharmaceutical wastewater are organic substances with complex structure, toxic, harmful, and biodegradable, it causes serious pollution to water bodies. Wastewater mainly includes four categories: antibiotic production wastewater, synthetic drug production wastewater, Chinese patent medicine production wastewater, and washing water and flushing wastewater in the production process of various preparations. It is characterized by complex components, high organic content, high toxicity, deep chromaticity, and high salt content, and is a difficult-to-treat industrial wastewater.(1)
Activated carbon is not only the most widely used adsorbent, but also the most widely used adsorbent technically. This is mainly due to its large surface area, developed pore system, low cost, simple regeneration method, and superior treatment effect. Studies have shown that activated carbon not only adsorbs nickel ions, but also has outstanding effects on complex metals.(2)
Although the ion exchange method has a good removal effect, the heavy metals in the wastewater can be recycled, and the ion exchange method is not always used alone for wastewater treatment. It is often combined with other technologies to achieve recycling.(3)
Electrodialysis is to use the space effect to force ions to flow to the electrode, so that the ion concentration in the electrode intermediate solution is reduced, thereby purifying the water quality [20]. The difference from electrolysis is electroosmosis and high-pressure adsorption, the current is small, and the probability of oxidation reaction is small.(4)
Membrane separation technology refers to the use of membranes with specific properties to selectively permeate certain substances to achieve the separation of pollutants. Common membrane separation technologies mainly include ultrafiltration, microfiltration, and nanofiltration. Membrane technology conforms to the concepts of clean production and circular economy of modern environmental protection technology. More and more scientific researchers are committed to membrane materials, pollution cleaning, and research on service life.(5)
Flocculants are under development in the field of removing impurities in sewage. At present, electroflocculation technology is used to remove metals, colloids, suspended solids, and organic solvents discharged from wastewater [21]. When there are impurities in the solution, the removal process of impurities is not limited to the dispersion of the flocculant, and other chemical reactions may occur. Specific problems are analyzed in detail. Electroflocculation is a high-level pleiotropy. The specific regeneration device should be analyzed according to different worlds such as impurities in the solution, negative electrode material, and electrolyte. The anode material acts as the “electrode” that produces the flocculant, so the choice of anode material is a key step to increase pollution.


## 2.2. Fly Ash-Related Theories and Dynamic Description

Laodelphax striatellus is a common waste and a product of thermal energy materials. Its output is large and difficult to resist. Its negligence will have a negligible and significant impact on the surface, soil, water, and other fields [22]. Fly ash is a kind of solid waste with a good adsorption function. When used in water treatment, it can not only generate solid waste sources and increase the amount of addition, but also improve the wastewater treatment effect. Fly ash has poor carbonization resistance and poor heat resistance, and is suitable for above-ground and underground water, and large-volume concrete structures, steam-cured concrete components, and general projects with sulfate resistance requirements. At present, in addition to other industrial materials, fly ash is also widely used in construction materials, sewage treatment, agriculture, metal recycling, and other fields. Using fly ash as a raw material to prepare cheap and efficient ash adsorbents is one of the most feasible ways to use fly ash as a source of higher value [23]. According to the good adsorption performance of fly ash, the use of various transformation methods to transform fly ash or prepare shaped adsorbents has always been the focus of the comprehensive utilization of fly ash. And use fly ash as a raw material to modify or prepare fly ash additional adsorption products, so that fly ash can be fully utilized as a source, starting from multiple points to solve the problem of comprehensive use of fly ash. The relevant process is shown in Figure 1.Figure 1
The structure of fly ash powder with different particle sizes.As shown in Figure1, due to the different combustion methods and combustion processes of coal, different types of ash will be synthesized, and their particle size, mineral composition, and chemical composition will be different. There are a large number of large spherical particles and flocs in fly ash before grinding, and a large number of particles are in the range of 50–100 μm. It is difficult to find large particles in crushed ash, and a small amount of small particles are also dense spots. Larger fly ash masses are decomposed, exposing the passage through the ash particles [24]. Under the naked eye, the original ashes appeared in the form of gray powder. Observed by an electron microscope, the main forms of fly ash are scattered colored glass particles and shiny round particles with a large degree of looseness. After the fly ash is modified and shaped, the surface becomes smoother, and the particle structure is uniform in size and distribution. Ashes move in a specific surface area with a larger specific surface area and a higher surface strength [25]. Energy consumption is the most important consideration in the realization of industrial applications [26, 27]. The main basis for the use of fly ash to treat pollutants is physical and chemical adsorption. It also uses a certain flocculation-sedimentation and filtration effect to flocculate with pollutants to form large aggregate particles, which are then removed by precipitation. This process can be expressed as:(1)I=kπα∗i∇r∫fiπi+1mfi+1l∗i,I=I−i∀fiki+1.πi2∇fi4αli.Among them,α is the wetting agent, m is the number, r is the radius of the adsorption hole, and fi is the contact interface of the liquid. The calculation between flow rate and pressure difference can be expressed as:(2)fp=∑lol∇k−fpk−1o,il∑i=1i−1,δi−1=k⊗ϕii0mi−11/α−1coskr−12ϕf−1,Fo−1=o−lγolϑo−1=2m2fi−1ii0mϕfsink1ϕf.Microbial treatment is carried out by ferroelectrode electrocoagulation.ϕii0 is the liquid pressure, and the irregular arrangement of particles is represented by γo in the formula. The ions f close to the boundary layer ϑo−1 are different due to electrostatic action, that is:(3)1gi=1gx+1gy=miix+12i2iiom−1sink,go=3μssink2fϕi−11/fx−1−sink2fϕi−11/fx−11/20,whereiix is the differential capacitance in the structure, s is the charge, and gi,gx,gy is the inner tight layer. The characteristic adsorption process is represented by go.


## 3. Comprehensive Wastewater Treatment Experiments Start Work

### 3.1. Feasibility of Fly Ash

The specific chemical composition of fly ash also varies with the source of coal, the method of burning coal, and the size [28]. Different coal types, coal sources, and combustion processes make the quality of fly ash deviate. Experiment preparation: take a small amount of the powder that needs to be observed and put it into a clean beaker, add an appropriate amount of ethanol, and ultrasonically vibrate for 5 minutes to make the powder uniformly dispersed. Immediately add the dispersed liquid to the copper sheet with a dropper, wait for the ethanol to evaporate naturally and the surface of the sample to dry, and then spray gold. The advanced samples were observed under a scanning electron microscope, photographed, and recorded. First, make statistics on the basic parameters of fly ash in this experiment, as shown in Table 1.Table 1
Parameters related to the physical properties of fly ash.
IndexIngredient 1Ingredient 2Ingredient 3Ignition loss4.164.372.24Moisture content29.10.830.92Sulphur trioxide0.510.740.69Fineness782426Water demand ratio12715187The higher viscosity begins to cause difficulty in heat dissipation of the system. The accumulation of heat in turn accelerates the chain growth reaction rate, which leads to a rapid exponential increase in the chain reaction rate, and the viscosity average molecular weight of the polymer increases sharply in a very short time. As the liquid-to-solid ratio decreases, the proportion of monomer prepolymerization liquid in the slurry decreases, and the dynamic viscosity of the slurry increases significantly, resulting in poor fluidity. Decreasing the percentage of monomer prepolymerization liquid in the slurry will result in a film layer densification. Densification will reduce the flow of the separation layer and increase the flow delay of the separation layer. In the application process, problems such as streamline attenuation caused by color coating hindered the popularization and application of stainless steel technology. In order to improve the anti-fouling and anti-clogging capabilities of the drum, while maintaining a high tensile strength, and as much as possible to use cheaper films. Therefore, the heavy metal ions must be removed first. The methods of removing heavy metals often include heavy metal capture and micro-electrolysis. Considering the long-term operating cost, this scheme chooses micro-electrolysis to remove heavy metals, and its efficiency can reach more than 95%. Adsorption experiments on fly ash, the results are shown in Figure2.Figure 2
Fly ash test results.As shown in Figure2, as the frequency increases, the reaction time, reaction efficiency, energy consumption, and reactivity all maintain a high-exponential operation, but the reaction process is the opposite, and the reaction process becomes slower as the frequency increases. Looking at the previous test results, it can be found that superfine pulverization of ash can also improve the performance and mechanical properties of the material with good technology. Using the same abrasive material, as the average particle size of fly ash decreases, the metal content increases. It shows that in the process of pulverizing fly ash, the grinding medium is ground. Comparing the metal content of the ash with the same particle size, it is found that at low metal content, the ashes from the disc mill and roller mill fly well on the ground, while the ball mill is used for ball milling. Grind metal content: the highest metal content in the fly ash model indicates that the fly ash rotating through the ball mill and the vibrating mill is high wear, while the wear of the mill roll ring and the disc mill is reduced. Investigation of different types of pollution sources and the relevant data is shown in Figure 3.Figure 3
Sewage treatment index of different types of factories.The weight of pollutants removed in unit time is an important process parameter in biological treatment, which reflects the comprehensive influence of influent concentration and hydraulic retention time on pollutant removal. Fly ash can absorb the substances needed by microorganisms and the microorganisms themselves, so that they can stack and grow around the fly ash to form a denser bacterial micelle, thereby improving the sedimentation of activated sludge. On the other hand, although the particle size of the sludge becomes larger, it is still smaller. The chemical composition of fly ash is shown in Table2.Table 2
Chemical composition of fly ash.
ElementVariation rangeAverage valueSilica30–6247.1Aluminum oxide17–3822.8Ferric oxide1.2–177.01Calcium oxide0.6–192.81Magnesium oxide0.6–3.61.28Potassium oxide0.5–2.71.03Sodium oxide0.3–4.11.02Ignition loss0.8–327.99The reduction reaction with the refractory components in the medical waste achieves the effect of ring opening and chain scission, and the biochemical properties of the medical waste are enhanced. It is very helpful to reduce operating costs, but in the current control stage, due to its slower reaction speed, it takes more time to carry out the electrochemical reaction. The extension of the time requires investment in more equipment to purchase more electrolytic cells. This is more difficult for most companies. When the initial concentration of adsorbate, the flow rate of water in, and the pH value of sewage are the same, changing the height of the filler layer will change the concentration of CODcr and ammonia nitrogen in the adsorption aqueous solution at each time point. Different inlet water flow rate will make the contact time of adsorbent and adsorbate different. The higher the flow rate, the shorter the time the sewage stays in the adsorption column, and it will flow out of the adsorption column before it has time to react with the adsorbent. The power consumption required to grind the different particle sizes of fly ash is shown in Table3.Table 3
Power consumption required for different particle sizes of ground fly ash.
Mill typeAverage particle sizePower consumptionDisk mold2.78–10.57377.27–147.62Ring roller mill3.26–11.47188.52–247.64Vibration mill2.89–10.37386.49–1304.58Ball milling3.19–13.01378.27–1019.26The use of membrane separators can prevent the loss of high molecular weight and suspended solids to the outside of the system. On the one hand, the separation membrane layer has a smaller average pore size than the support, which improves the separation ability of the composite membrane for dispersing dyes; on the other hand, the removal rate of several pollutants by the composite membrane is generally lower. Membrane separation products prepared by using beads as resources still have obvious performance deficiencies in water filtration applications. This operation diagram is shown in Figure4.Figure 4
Membrane separation device.Pollutants and bacteria in the activated sludge mixture exist in the form of colloids, which is a hydrophilic biocolloid. The addition of fly ash is equivalent to introducing a hydrophobic silicate suspension and a large number of positively charged ions into the original colloidal system. According to the theory of the electric double layer, a large amount of oppositely charged electrolyte ions are added to the originally negatively charged activated sludge mixture. The possibility of separation increases. As a whole, the data related to the pre-processing, post-processing, and removal rate are shown in Figure5.Figure 5
Overall removal result.


### 3.2. Electrocoagulation

With the development of industry, more and more organisms are difficult to biodegrade, and they are accumulating. With their high toxicity and chemical stability, refractory minerals have caused great damage to the ecosystem and human health. The preparation and innovation of new electrode materials for electrodes: since the electrode materials in the three-dimensional electrode method directly have a decisive influence on the processing effect, the selection of electrode materials is a key point in the construction of the device. When the load is difficult and the water is not enough, it even needs to be replaced regularly to solve the problem. These problems hinder the popularization and utilization of micro-electrolysis technology. The structure diagram of this experimental device is shown in Figure6.Figure 6
Experimental device structure.During the reaction operation, the third electrode filler will be charged under the action of the external two-dimensional electrode electric field, and then the electrochemical reaction will occur at the same time as the surface of the electrode material is charged, and it will become countless tiny battery cells, thus greatly improving the entire electricity. The reaction energy efficiency of chemical reactors and the iron content of fly ash with different average diameters are shown in Table4.Table 4
Iron content analysis.
Mill typeAverage particle sizeIron contentSanmenxia lime20.462.517Disc grinding fine ash2.19–11.242.801–1.986Ring roller grinding fine ash3.41–11.262.648–3.117Vibration grinding fine ash2.11–11.462.076–2.814Ball mill ash3.017–11.013.27–3.812The organic aerobic biochemical treatment of high-density wastewater is under the action of heterotrophic aerobic microorganisms, using free oxygen as an electron acceptor, organic matter as an electrical assistant, and organic oxidizing matter to generate energy, so that it can maintain a long-term operation that has seen changes, requirements, and the concentration reduction technology of organic matter [29, 30]. The electrode material determines the influence of the electrode posture. The kinetics of the electrolysis process, the structure and life of the electrolyte battery, the strength of the electrolyte material, and the process indication depend to a large extent on the characteristics of the electrode material. As the carbon sintered filler is in the reaction process, due to acid-base corrosion and current impact, some metal powder on the surface of the painting will fall off the surface of the painting and sink to the bottom. The reactor after the reaction is static. The presence of coexisting ions in electroflocculation may affect the conductivity of the solution, thereby affecting the dissolution of the “sacrificial anode,” or flocculating with pollutants in the solution to inhibit the removal of pollutants. The fly ash with different iron content was tested in stages, and the experimental data of this method was recorded, as shown in Figure 7.Figure 7
Iron electrode electrocoagulation method participates in the treatment of fly ash.From the data in the above figure, it can be seen that the effect of sewage treatment with fly ash with different average diameter particles is obvious. Among them, the maximum value of vibration grinding ash before and after application increased from 5.62 to 8.31, and the maximum removal rate is also 8.31; the removal effect is significant. When the applied electric field is too large, the micro-electric fields formed on both sides of the cell membrane that can stimulate growth will form an electric current, break the cell membrane, and even kill the cells, thereby affecting the growth and metabolism of microorganisms in the system. At the same time, it was found that on the surface of the original iron-carbon particles, there were also many different new forms of structural substances, which were obviously different from the previous iron-carbon filler morphology. The rough surface increases the effective surface area of the iron filings electrode, thereby increasing the amount of metal dissolved. On the other hand, the presence of chloride ions in the electrolyte prevents the formation of a passivation layer on the electrode surface. Adequate contact with the surface of the filler material greatly increases the directly oxidized pollutants, thereby effectively speeding up the reaction process and improving the overall reaction efficiency.


## 3.1. Feasibility of Fly Ash

The specific chemical composition of fly ash also varies with the source of coal, the method of burning coal, and the size [28]. Different coal types, coal sources, and combustion processes make the quality of fly ash deviate. Experiment preparation: take a small amount of the powder that needs to be observed and put it into a clean beaker, add an appropriate amount of ethanol, and ultrasonically vibrate for 5 minutes to make the powder uniformly dispersed. Immediately add the dispersed liquid to the copper sheet with a dropper, wait for the ethanol to evaporate naturally and the surface of the sample to dry, and then spray gold. The advanced samples were observed under a scanning electron microscope, photographed, and recorded. First, make statistics on the basic parameters of fly ash in this experiment, as shown in Table 1.Table 1
Parameters related to the physical properties of fly ash.
IndexIngredient 1Ingredient 2Ingredient 3Ignition loss4.164.372.24Moisture content29.10.830.92Sulphur trioxide0.510.740.69Fineness782426Water demand ratio12715187The higher viscosity begins to cause difficulty in heat dissipation of the system. The accumulation of heat in turn accelerates the chain growth reaction rate, which leads to a rapid exponential increase in the chain reaction rate, and the viscosity average molecular weight of the polymer increases sharply in a very short time. As the liquid-to-solid ratio decreases, the proportion of monomer prepolymerization liquid in the slurry decreases, and the dynamic viscosity of the slurry increases significantly, resulting in poor fluidity. Decreasing the percentage of monomer prepolymerization liquid in the slurry will result in a film layer densification. Densification will reduce the flow of the separation layer and increase the flow delay of the separation layer. In the application process, problems such as streamline attenuation caused by color coating hindered the popularization and application of stainless steel technology. In order to improve the anti-fouling and anti-clogging capabilities of the drum, while maintaining a high tensile strength, and as much as possible to use cheaper films. Therefore, the heavy metal ions must be removed first. The methods of removing heavy metals often include heavy metal capture and micro-electrolysis. Considering the long-term operating cost, this scheme chooses micro-electrolysis to remove heavy metals, and its efficiency can reach more than 95%. Adsorption experiments on fly ash, the results are shown in Figure2.Figure 2
Fly ash test results.As shown in Figure2, as the frequency increases, the reaction time, reaction efficiency, energy consumption, and reactivity all maintain a high-exponential operation, but the reaction process is the opposite, and the reaction process becomes slower as the frequency increases. Looking at the previous test results, it can be found that superfine pulverization of ash can also improve the performance and mechanical properties of the material with good technology. Using the same abrasive material, as the average particle size of fly ash decreases, the metal content increases. It shows that in the process of pulverizing fly ash, the grinding medium is ground. Comparing the metal content of the ash with the same particle size, it is found that at low metal content, the ashes from the disc mill and roller mill fly well on the ground, while the ball mill is used for ball milling. Grind metal content: the highest metal content in the fly ash model indicates that the fly ash rotating through the ball mill and the vibrating mill is high wear, while the wear of the mill roll ring and the disc mill is reduced. Investigation of different types of pollution sources and the relevant data is shown in Figure 3.Figure 3
Sewage treatment index of different types of factories.The weight of pollutants removed in unit time is an important process parameter in biological treatment, which reflects the comprehensive influence of influent concentration and hydraulic retention time on pollutant removal. Fly ash can absorb the substances needed by microorganisms and the microorganisms themselves, so that they can stack and grow around the fly ash to form a denser bacterial micelle, thereby improving the sedimentation of activated sludge. On the other hand, although the particle size of the sludge becomes larger, it is still smaller. The chemical composition of fly ash is shown in Table2.Table 2
Chemical composition of fly ash.
ElementVariation rangeAverage valueSilica30–6247.1Aluminum oxide17–3822.8Ferric oxide1.2–177.01Calcium oxide0.6–192.81Magnesium oxide0.6–3.61.28Potassium oxide0.5–2.71.03Sodium oxide0.3–4.11.02Ignition loss0.8–327.99The reduction reaction with the refractory components in the medical waste achieves the effect of ring opening and chain scission, and the biochemical properties of the medical waste are enhanced. It is very helpful to reduce operating costs, but in the current control stage, due to its slower reaction speed, it takes more time to carry out the electrochemical reaction. The extension of the time requires investment in more equipment to purchase more electrolytic cells. This is more difficult for most companies. When the initial concentration of adsorbate, the flow rate of water in, and the pH value of sewage are the same, changing the height of the filler layer will change the concentration of CODcr and ammonia nitrogen in the adsorption aqueous solution at each time point. Different inlet water flow rate will make the contact time of adsorbent and adsorbate different. The higher the flow rate, the shorter the time the sewage stays in the adsorption column, and it will flow out of the adsorption column before it has time to react with the adsorbent. The power consumption required to grind the different particle sizes of fly ash is shown in Table3.Table 3
Power consumption required for different particle sizes of ground fly ash.
Mill typeAverage particle sizePower consumptionDisk mold2.78–10.57377.27–147.62Ring roller mill3.26–11.47188.52–247.64Vibration mill2.89–10.37386.49–1304.58Ball milling3.19–13.01378.27–1019.26The use of membrane separators can prevent the loss of high molecular weight and suspended solids to the outside of the system. On the one hand, the separation membrane layer has a smaller average pore size than the support, which improves the separation ability of the composite membrane for dispersing dyes; on the other hand, the removal rate of several pollutants by the composite membrane is generally lower. Membrane separation products prepared by using beads as resources still have obvious performance deficiencies in water filtration applications. This operation diagram is shown in Figure4.Figure 4
Membrane separation device.Pollutants and bacteria in the activated sludge mixture exist in the form of colloids, which is a hydrophilic biocolloid. The addition of fly ash is equivalent to introducing a hydrophobic silicate suspension and a large number of positively charged ions into the original colloidal system. According to the theory of the electric double layer, a large amount of oppositely charged electrolyte ions are added to the originally negatively charged activated sludge mixture. The possibility of separation increases. As a whole, the data related to the pre-processing, post-processing, and removal rate are shown in Figure5.Figure 5
Overall removal result.


## 3.2. Electrocoagulation

With the development of industry, more and more organisms are difficult to biodegrade, and they are accumulating. With their high toxicity and chemical stability, refractory minerals have caused great damage to the ecosystem and human health. The preparation and innovation of new electrode materials for electrodes: since the electrode materials in the three-dimensional electrode method directly have a decisive influence on the processing effect, the selection of electrode materials is a key point in the construction of the device. When the load is difficult and the water is not enough, it even needs to be replaced regularly to solve the problem. These problems hinder the popularization and utilization of micro-electrolysis technology. The structure diagram of this experimental device is shown in Figure6.Figure 6
Experimental device structure.During the reaction operation, the third electrode filler will be charged under the action of the external two-dimensional electrode electric field, and then the electrochemical reaction will occur at the same time as the surface of the electrode material is charged, and it will become countless tiny battery cells, thus greatly improving the entire electricity. The reaction energy efficiency of chemical reactors and the iron content of fly ash with different average diameters are shown in Table4.Table 4
Iron content analysis.
Mill typeAverage particle sizeIron contentSanmenxia lime20.462.517Disc grinding fine ash2.19–11.242.801–1.986Ring roller grinding fine ash3.41–11.262.648–3.117Vibration grinding fine ash2.11–11.462.076–2.814Ball mill ash3.017–11.013.27–3.812The organic aerobic biochemical treatment of high-density wastewater is under the action of heterotrophic aerobic microorganisms, using free oxygen as an electron acceptor, organic matter as an electrical assistant, and organic oxidizing matter to generate energy, so that it can maintain a long-term operation that has seen changes, requirements, and the concentration reduction technology of organic matter [29, 30]. The electrode material determines the influence of the electrode posture. The kinetics of the electrolysis process, the structure and life of the electrolyte battery, the strength of the electrolyte material, and the process indication depend to a large extent on the characteristics of the electrode material. As the carbon sintered filler is in the reaction process, due to acid-base corrosion and current impact, some metal powder on the surface of the painting will fall off the surface of the painting and sink to the bottom. The reactor after the reaction is static. The presence of coexisting ions in electroflocculation may affect the conductivity of the solution, thereby affecting the dissolution of the “sacrificial anode,” or flocculating with pollutants in the solution to inhibit the removal of pollutants. The fly ash with different iron content was tested in stages, and the experimental data of this method was recorded, as shown in Figure 7.Figure 7
Iron electrode electrocoagulation method participates in the treatment of fly ash.From the data in the above figure, it can be seen that the effect of sewage treatment with fly ash with different average diameter particles is obvious. Among them, the maximum value of vibration grinding ash before and after application increased from 5.62 to 8.31, and the maximum removal rate is also 8.31; the removal effect is significant. When the applied electric field is too large, the micro-electric fields formed on both sides of the cell membrane that can stimulate growth will form an electric current, break the cell membrane, and even kill the cells, thereby affecting the growth and metabolism of microorganisms in the system. At the same time, it was found that on the surface of the original iron-carbon particles, there were also many different new forms of structural substances, which were obviously different from the previous iron-carbon filler morphology. The rough surface increases the effective surface area of the iron filings electrode, thereby increasing the amount of metal dissolved. On the other hand, the presence of chloride ions in the electrolyte prevents the formation of a passivation layer on the electrode surface. Adequate contact with the surface of the filler material greatly increases the directly oxidized pollutants, thereby effectively speeding up the reaction process and improving the overall reaction efficiency.


## 4. Discussion

The physical form of gel polymer electrolyte is a polymer network system injected by oil. Light weight and high energy density are major development trends for safe lithium-ion batteries in the future. By discarding accumulated nutrients or other substances, allowing them and microorganisms to affect energy, thereby increasing energy degradation, has become a hot and difficult research topic in recent years. There are many treatment options for flexible organic wastewater, mainly using physical, chemical, and biological methods. Since the micro-electrolysis material is an iron-carbon material, iron is generated during the reaction, and the mononuclear or multinuclear complexes that are easily produced in an alkaline environment will flocculate and precipitate, thereby increasing the removal of pollutants. By adjusting the applied voltage of the reactor to change the size of the applied electric field, thereby changing the activation energy and controlling the reaction rate, the adsorption performance will be improved to a certain extent after modification. At present, research is aimed at removing nitrogen and phosphorus from water by modified fly ash. And the application of acid- and alkali-modified fly ash has good removal efficiency for ammonia nitrogen, and acid-modified fly ash is mostly used for phosphorus removal. Modified fly ash is affected by the initial concentration of ammonia nitrogen removal. The original adsorption performance of the adsorbent is restored without changing the structure of the adsorbent, and repeated recycling is carried out, which not only saves resources and reduces costs, but also reduces the discharge of system waste. Sometimes it can also recycle the adsorbent and carry out resource recovery. After the initial violent reaction, a large amount of hydration products are generated inside the slurry and a spatial network is initially established. At this time, the slurry hardens and has high strength. The hardening of the slurry causes the reaction to proceed mainly in the hydration layer on the surface of the particles. At this time, the generated hydration product tightly wraps the particles, establishing a reliable connection between the particles and the slurry, and also hindering the progress of the reaction. A short sludge age will hinder the enrichment of nitrifying bacteria and is not conducive to the smooth progress of the nitrification reaction. Too long sludge age will cause problems such as sludge aging and increase the capacity of the reaction tank, which is not conducive to the system’s nitrogen and phosphorus removal. It is also not conducive to reducing the cost of sewage treatment in the sewage plant. The process of electroflocculation treatment of wastewater containing Cd (II) conforms to the pseudo-first-order kinetics, and the fitting degree is good. There is no iron cadmium crystal formation on the surface of the precipitated samples, and cadmium may exist in the form of a double coordination complex on the surface of iron hydroxide.


## 5. Conclusion

With decades of rapid system development and rapid improvement of human life, environmental problems have become very common and important. Generally speaking, water bodies are damaged, large and small water pollution incidents frequently occur, blooms in inland waters and red tides in coastal waters occur frequently, and there are even successive regional population illnesses caused by water pollution problems. In recent years, environmental safety requirements have become stronger and more complex, not only for different industries, but also for the discharge requirements of sewage treatment plants. Most of the wastewater collected by the sewage treatment plant in the industrial park is the water treatment type of top pharmaceutical companies. Using fly ash to treat urban sewage and wastewater is a measure to treat waste and turn waste into treasure. Due to its good adsorption performance, low price, and easy availability, fly ash has broad application prospects in the field of water treatment and has attracted the attention of many researchers. Ordinary physical or biochemical systems are not suitable for direct application to the treatment of high-concentration refractory chemical wastewater, and common chemical methods cannot achieve better treatment results. Therefore, an effective treatment method for high-concentration refractory chemical wastewater is explored very important. Up to now, most scholars have just stayed at improving the efficiency of biochemical treatment by changing the amount of iron ions or changing the reaction conditions, and they have not systematically studied the ways of iron ions. Although iron chip anode electroflocculation technology has high efficiency in treating complexed nickel wastewater, as the country pays more attention to the pollution of heavy metal wastewater, the standard is continuously improving, and further improvement is still needed. The sedimentation performance of using Fe-based materials as anode materials is good, and there is room for further optimization in this experiment.



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*Source: 9629145-2022-08-18.xml*