Electrooxidation of phenol on carbon fibre-based anodes through continuous electrolysis of synthetic wastewater

This work reports on the process of phenol electrooxidation, which is carried-out through continuous electrolysis of synthetic, sodium sulphate-based wastewater. Phenol electrodegradation is examined by means of a laboratory size (ca. 700 cm₃ of working volume), poly (methyl methacrylate)-made electrolyser unit for various, carbon fibre and graphite-based anode configurations, and stainless steel cathodes, two different current-densities and concentrations of phenol in synthetically prepared wastewater solution. Proper monitoring of phenol degradation (including quantitative identification of reaction products and calculation of specific energy consumption) in wastewater is performed by means of instrumental, combined HPLC and MS technique in function of electrolysis time.