Disclosed are polymer-coated surfaces encapsulating task specific ionic liquids (ILs), IL complexes, or oils. Also disclosed are polymer-coated surfaces, wherein the polymer comprises ILs or neutral ethylene diamine compounds. Also disclosed are methods of antimicrobial treatment, metal remediation, and gas absorption using polymer coatings encapsulating ILs, IL complexes, and oils or polymer coatings comprising ILs and neutral ethylene diamine compounds.

An electrochemical device including at least one of a carbonaceous cathode, and at least one of a metal-containing anode. A separation distance between the carbonaceous cathode and the metal-containing anode is about 1 to about 5000 micrometers.

Processes are provided for the kinetically efficient reduction of selenate species to selenide species using chromous ions in acidic solution. This reduction may advantageously be carried out in the presence of sulphate species, with selective selenate reduction in preference to the reduction of sulfate. The reduced selenate may be removed from the chromous-treated solution, for example by precipitation of a copper-selenide solid. The chromic ions formed by reaction of chromous ions in the reduction of selenate may also be removed from solution, for example by addition of a base to form an insoluble chromic hydroxide solid. The chromic hydroxide may be recycled to regenerate chromous ions, for example by electrolysis. In this way, systems are provided for continuously removing dissolved selenium from wastewater streams.

This disclosure provides techniques for treatment of aqueous matrices using electrolysis to produce soluble metals. An aqueous matrix of interest is passed through an electrolysis device with at least one consumable electrode, which dissolves under applied current, transferring a desired reagent to the aqueous matrix of interest. In one embodiment, the electrolysis device is used in a water delivery network to passivate hexavalent chromium (Cr6) and/or convert it to trivalent chromium; the electrode can be made of food-grade metal tin, which is electrolyzed to form a stannous reagent, which then reacts with the Cr6. The disclosed techniques provide for Cr6 passivation without requiring the use of concentrated acids or other harmful substances. Long term reagent generation efficiency can be enhanced through the use of cleaning processes which maintain a fresh electrode surface in contact with the aqueous matrix of interest.

The present invention provides a method for removing pentavalent antimony contaminants in water without adding a DC power supply and also provides a fuel cell capable of removing the pentavalent antimony contaminants in water by utilizing self-generated electric energy. A technical solution of the present invention is as follows: waste water is pumped into a reactor for reaction after a pH value of the waste water containing the pentavalent antimony contaminants adjusted to 3-6.5; the inside of a reactor is an anaerobic environment; and an iron anode is arranged in the reactor, a through hole is formed in a side wall of the reactor, a cathode for reducing oxygen by electrons and protons sealed and inlaid in the through hole, and a resistor is connected between the iron anode and the cathode in series. The present invention is suitable for a water treatment technology.

A method of reducing the concentration of dissolved selenium in water includes introducing water having solid selenium-containing particles and a metal that bonds with selenium into a vessel and precipitating a metal-selenium compound from the water. A method of reducing the concentration of dissolved selenium or reducing dissolution of dissolved selenium, including providing a source of electrons into the water to precipitate dissolved selenium compounds is also disclosed. The precipitated compounds are separated from the water to produce decontaminated water. A system for reducing the concentration of dissolved selenium or reducing dissolution of dissolved selenium is also disclosed. The system includes a vessel fluidly connectable to a water source, at least one solid metal source, and a source of electrical voltage electrically connectable to the metal source.

This disclosure provides a method for treating an etching waste liquid from an etching process of indium tin oxide comprising hydrochloric acid, acetic acid, tin ions, indium ions and water, comprising the steps of: distilling the etching waste liquid to obtain a distillate comprising hydrochloric acid and acetic acid and a post-distillation liquid comprising tin ions and indium ions; generating a precipitate by reacting tin ions in the post-distillation liquid with sulfide ions to remove tin ions from the solution so as to obtain a post-precipitation solution containing indium ions; and electrolyzing the post-precipitation solution to obtain crude indium.

An electrochemical device for reducing a dissolved metal of a liquid stream includes a carbonaceous cathode surrounding a metal-containing anode and a separator arranged between the metal-containing anode and the carbonaceous cathode. The electrochemical device further includes either one of: a conductive cathode current collector housing on the carbonaceous cathode or a non-conductive cathode current collector housing on the carbonaceous cathode. The conductive cathode current collector housing includes at least one inlet and outlet for the liquid stream. The non-conductive cathode current collector housing includes at least one inlet and outlet for the liquid stream, and a metal shim arranged between the carbonaceous cathode and the non-conductive cathode current collector housing.

The invention relates to a method and a system for purification of water in a water purification system. The water purification system comprises first and second mixing reactors, first and second flotation reactors and first and second filters all serially and fluidly connected in a flow direction of the water as well as an electrolyzer. During the process, electrochemical synthesis of the reagents takes place in the cathode and anode chambers of the electrolyzer, respectively. Moreover, the electrochemically synthesized catholyte and anolyte are dosed into the water kept in the first and second mixing reactors, respectively. Then the mixtures in the first and second mixing reactors are mixed. After that, the flow of the treated water leaving the mixing reactors is passed through the first and second flotation reactors and afterwards through the first and second filters downstream of the first and second mixing reactors.

Devices, systems and methods for removing minerals from a conductive protonic fluid and creating oxidizers therein. A non-alternating flow of electrons in a conductive protonic fluid selectively precipitates hardness causing heavy minerals from the fluid. The decrease in hardness causing minerals leads to the protonic fluid moving towards a thermodynamic equilibrium that prevents precipitation of the noted hardness causing minerals. By-products from the process, like halogens, help oxidize other minerals and treat bio-life within the source. Systems include a vessel containing the conductive protonic fluid, a conductive protonic fluid flow mechanism, a power supply, a control mechanism, and one or more reaction chambers. The reaction chamber has at least one reaction chamber wall having a conductive surface and a conductive element. The power supply provides an electric field to the conductive protonic fluid in the reaction chamber such that the conductive surface and the conductive element have opposing charges which separate the conductive protonic fluid into negative and positive ions creating an ion gradient between the conductive element and conductive surface, resulting in a pH gradient between the conductive surface and the conductive element, thereby enhancing precipitation of the minerals on a positive end of the ion gradient.