Performance of electron acceptors in catholyte of a two-chambered microbial fuel cell using anion exchange membrane

• Published in: Bioresource technology Vol. 102; no. 3; pp. 2736 - 2744
• Main Authors: Pandit, Soumya, Sengupta, Arupananda, Kale, Sharad, Das, Debabrata
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 01.02.2011; [New York, NY]: Elsevier Ltd; Elsevier
• Subjects: Anion exchange membrane; Anion Exchange Resins - chemistry; Anion exchanging; Biochemical fuel cells; Bioelectric Energy Sources - microbiology; Biofuel production; Biological and medical sciences; Biotechnology; Crack opening displacement; Density; Electric potential; Electrodes - microbiology; Electron acceptors; Electron Transport; Energy; Equipment Design; Equipment Failure Analysis; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Industrial applications and implications. Economical aspects; Initial pH; Membranes; Membranes, Artificial; Microorganisms; Oxygen demand; Phosphate buffer; Potassium; Shewanella putrefaciens - physiology; Initial pH; Electron acceptors; Anion exchange membrane; Phosphate buffer; Phosphates; Microbial electrode; Biochemical fuel cell; pH; Buffer system; Electron acceptor
• ISSN: 0960-8524; 1873-2976
• DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2010.11.038

The performance of the cathodic electron acceptors (CEA) used in the two-chambered microbial fuel cell (MFC) was in the following order: potassium permanganate (1.11V; 116.2mW/m2)>potassium persulfate (1.10V; 101.7mW/m2)>potassium dichromate, K2Cr2O7 (0.76V; 45.9mW/m2)>potassium ferricyanide (0.78V; 40.6mW/m2). Different operational parameters were considered to find out the performance of the MFC like initial pH in aqueous solutions, concentrations of the electron acceptors, phosphate buffer and aeration. Potassium persulfate was found to be more suitable out of the four electron acceptors which had a higher open circuit potential (OCP) but sustained the voltage for a much longer period than permanganate. Chemical oxygen demand (COD) reduction of 59% was achieved using 10mM persulfate in a batch process. RALEX™ AEM-PES, an anion exchange membrane (AEM), performed better in terms of power density and OCP in comparison to Nafion®117 Cation Exchange Membrane (CEM).