Degradação da vinhaça bruta com ozônio gerado eletroquimicamente

Abstract

The degradation/mineralization of vinasse with electrochemical generated ozone was investigated using a solid polymer based reactor (Ti/b-PbO2/Nafion 111/steel 316). Ozonization was done at the natural pH (~4)of the vinasse as well as after changing the pH to 12. Degradation/mineralization was followed using uv-visible spectroscopy, chemical oxygen demand, COD, and total organic carbon, TOC, measurements. A current density of 0,15 A cm-2 was applied, resulting a 6,21% current efficiency furnishing a real ozone charge of 1,55 g h-1. After 10 h ozonization a significant decolorization of the vinasse was observed. The reduction in COD and TOC-values observed was somewhat higher under basic conditions. The vinasse oxidation mechanism by ozone is rather complex and can occur by direct molecular O3 or indirectly by OH generated through O3 decomposition. The high TOCvalues when compared with the spectrophotometric data suggest ozone is capable of destroying the parts of the organic structure responsible for the color. However, the ozonization did not mineralize a significant fraction of the aromatic structure as supported by the remaining absorbance in the uv-region after a 10 h ozonization period. The g (=COD/TOC) parameter suggests an increase in the vinasse biodegradability. Preliminary results after sedimentation and filtration of the degraded vinasse show this simple procedures are capable to significantly reduce almost all of the physico-chemical parameters of vinasse.