An anode and cathode for a microbial fuel cell and a microbial fuel cell incorporating the anode or cathode

• Main Authors: PORCU LAURA, ANDRESEN JOHN
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 29.05.2015
• Subjects: BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS; BEER; BIOCHEMISTRY; CHEMISTRY; COMPOSITIONS THEREOF; CULTURE MEDIA; ELECTRICITY; ENZYMOLOGY; METALLURGY; MICROBIOLOGY; MICROORGANISMS OR ENZYMES; MUTATION OR GENETIC ENGINEERING; PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSIONOF CHEMICAL INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY; PROPAGATING, PRESERVING OR MAINTAINING MICROORGANISMS; SPIRITS; TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE; VINEGAR; WINE

An anode and a cathode for a microbial fuel cell and the microbial fuel cell incorporating such an anode and/or cathode are disclosed. The anode comprises at least one electrode element adapted to be received within the microbial fuel cell. The electrode element comprises polymer material having an electrically conductive material interspersed with the polymer material. The cathode comprises a polymer material having an electrically conductive material interspersed/integrated with the polymer material. The microbial fuel cell (1) comprises the above described anode (6) and cathode (7) arranged in a vessel (3) that contains a substrate. A method of forming the anode or cathode is disclosed. The anode (6) is adapted to harbour a microbial culture (10) to treat the waste water (2). A method of treating water using the above described microbial fuel cell (1) comprises providing the microbial fuel cell; introducing waste water (2) having an organic content to the cell and extracting water from the cell once the cell has reduced the organic content of the water. Also disclosed are methods of manufacturing an anode for a microbial fuel cell, coating an electrode with a catalyst and a method of collecting nitrogen based compounds contained in waste water, such as nitrates, using a microbial fuel cell.