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Clean electrochemical deposition of calcium carbonate to prevent scale formation in cooling water systems

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Abstract

Calcium carbonate (CaCO3) deposited in water systems leads to scale formation, decreases flow rate, reduces heat transfer and favors microbial proliferation of toxic bacteria such as Legionella. This issue may be solved by electrochemical deposition, without adding toxic chemicals. Therefore, we studied here the deposition of CaCO3 by electrochemical reduction of oxygen into hydroxide ions with stainless steel and titanium (Ti) working electrodes. Analysis was done using cyclic voltammetry, chronoamperometry, dynamic impedance spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) coupled with X-ray diffraction (XRD). Results show that optimal formation of CaCO3 is done at −1.2 V with the stainless steel electrode and at −1.4 V for the Ti electrode. More negative potentials induce the formation of calcite. Using the Ti electrode, we found that aragonite is the major form (82 %), with only one capacitive loop. Using the stainless steel electrode at 1.2 V, we found 47 % of aragonite and 38 % of calcite. Overall, our findings demonstrate the feasibility of the electrochemical deposition of CaCO3 in cooling water systems, without the addition of any chemical.

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Acknowledgments

Sincere thanks are extended to Mitacs for their financial contribution to this study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institut National de Recherche Scientifique-Centre Eau Terre Environnement, INRS-ETE, 490 Rue de la couronne, Quebec, QC, G1K 9A9, Canada

    Ahmad Dirany & Patrick Drogui

  2. Institut National de Recherche Scientifique-Centre Énergie Matériaux Télécommunications, INRS-EMT, 1650 Boulevard Lionel-Boulet, Varennes, QC, G1K 9A9, Canada

    My Ali El Khakani

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  1. Ahmad Dirany
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  2. Patrick Drogui
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  3. My Ali El Khakani
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Correspondence to Patrick Drogui.

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Dirany, A., Drogui, P. & El Khakani, M.A. Clean electrochemical deposition of calcium carbonate to prevent scale formation in cooling water systems. Environ Chem Lett 14, 507–514 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10311-016-0579-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10311-016-0579-x

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