Research Projects

In India, there are around 950-1000 textile units, with 50-60 in the organized sector and 850-900 in small-scale units. These shops apply dye or chemical pigment to fabric, which can lead to the disposal of dyed wastewater, which poses a significant environmental and health threat. Various techniques are used to treat colored wastewater, but these small workshops cannot afford to have their own facilities. To address this, electrocoagulation (EC) has been proposed as a solution. EC uses a direct current source between metal electrodes, causing the dissolution of electrode plates into the effluent. The EC process is efficient, cost-effective, and easily operable, as it requires no chemical addition and can be operated by green processes like solar, windmills, and fuel cells. EC can effectively destabilize small colloidal particles and generate lower sludge compared to other processes. The project aims to scale up EC pilot plants for treating dye effluent collected from small-scale dyeing shops and explore its potential for the benefit of the people at large. The specific objectives include process design and pilot plant experiments, assessing technical and economic feasibility, characterizing and analyzing by-products, and utilizing by-products. The expected output and outcome of the proposal will be to develop and test the hypothesis that EC for treating small-scale dyeing effluent may be the best way to reduce pollution and benefit the people at large.