Application of Taguchi’s experimental design method for optimization of Acid Red 18 removal by electrochemical oxidation process

Background: Electro-oxidation is developed as an electrochemical method to overcome the problems of the conventional decolorization technologies and is an appropriate alternative for the treatment of colored wastewater from various industries. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficiency of the electrochemical oxidation process in removal of chemical oxygen demand (COD) and Acid Red 18 (AR18) dye from aqueous solutions. Methods: In this research, a laboratory scale of electro-coagulation reactor for the treatment of synthetic wastewater was made and studied. The effects of different variables including pH, current density, dye concentration, and electrolysis time were investigated. The experiment steps were designed by Design-Expert 10 software using the selected variables. Finally, the dye and COD analysis was performed by spectrophotometer. The optimization was performed using Taguchi fractional factorial design during the removal of dye and COD. Results: Maximum removal of dye (89%) and COD (72.2%) were obtained at pH=3, current density=20 mA/cm2, initial dye concentration=100 mg/L, and reaction time=45 min. ANOVA test showed a significant relationship between statistical model and test data. Also, the results indicate that the distribution of the residues of the model was normal. Conclusion: By designing experiments through Taguchi method, the removal process will be optimized and by decreasing the number of experiments, the optimal conditions for pollutant removal will be prepared. The results suggest that the Electro-oxidation system is a very suitable technique for the enhancement of wastewater treatment.