Removal of materials from water

Abstract

Various embodiments relate to an electrochemical cell for removal of materials from water and methods of using the same. A method of removing phosphorus from water includes immersing an electrochemical cell in water including phosphorus to form treated water including a salt that includes the phosphorus. The electrochemical cell includes an anode including Mg, Al, Fe, Zn, or a combination thereof, a cathode including Cu, Ni, Fe, or a combination thereof. The method includes separating the salt including the phosphorus from the treated water, to form separated water having a lower phosphorus concentration than the water including phosphorus.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of removing phosphorus from water, the method comprising:
 immersing an electrochemical cell in water comprising phosphorus to form treated water comprising a salt that comprises the phosphorus, wherein the electrochemical cell is a galvanic cell, the electrochemical cell comprising
 an anode comprising Al, Mg, or a combination thereof; 
 a cathode having a different composition than the anode, the cathode comprising Cu, wherein the cathode comprises a porous cathode material, and 
 a conductive connector that electrically connects the anode and the cathode, the conductive connector comprising Cu, Zn, Fe, Cd, Ni, Sn, Pb, or a combination thereof; and 
   separating the salt comprising the phosphorus from the treated water, to form separated water having a lower phosphorus concentration than the water comprising phosphorus.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the anode comprises Mg. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the anode comprises Al. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the anode is about 90 wt % to about 100 wt % Al. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the anode comprises a strip profile. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the porous cathode material comprises wire, mesh, screen, a sheet comprising one or more through-holes, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the porous cathode material comprises a wire mesh or a wire screen. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the conductive connector comprises a screw, a bolt, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the conductive connector comprises an alloy comprising Cu and Zn. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the conductive connector comprises brass. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the separated water
 has a total phosphorus concentration that is 0% to 20% of the total phosphorus concentration of the water comprising phosphorus, or   has a dissolved phosphorus concentration that is 0% to 20% of the dissolved phosphorus concentration of the water comprising phosphorus, or   has a reactive phosphorus concentration that is 0% to 20% of the total phosphorus concentration of the water comprising phosphorus, or   has a total nitrogen concentration that is 0% to 30% of a total nitrogen concentration of the water comprising phosphorus, or   has a total nitrogen concentration that is 0% to 30% of a dissolved nitrogen concentration of the water comprising phosphorus, or   a combination thereof.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the salt comprising the phosphorus comprises a material from the anode. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the water comprising phosphorus further comprises a dissolved transition metal, post-transition metal, metalloid, or a combination thereof, further comprising forming a hydroxide salt comprising the transition metal, post-transition metal, or metalloid during the immersing of the electrochemical cell in the water comprising phosphorus, wherein the separating of the salt comprising the phosphorus from the treated water further comprises separating the hydroxide salt comprising the transition metal, post-transition metal, or metalloid from the treated water. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising applying mechanical force to the electrochemical cell during the immersing of the electrochemical cell in the water comprising phosphorus, or applying shear to the water comprising phosphorus during the immersing of the electrochemical cell in the water comprising phosphorus, or a combination thereof, wherein the mechanical force and/or shear is sufficient to
 dislodge at least some bubbles comprising H 2  from the surface of the anode, cathode, or a combination thereof, or   at least partially prevent oxide formation at the surface of the anode, or   at least partially prevent agglomeration of the salt comprising the phosphorus on the surface of the anode, or   a combination thereof.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising
 immersing the electrochemical cell or a plurality thereof in an enclosure comprising the water comprising the phosphorus; and   filtering the salt comprising the phosphorus from the treated water via one of more filters that are at least partially submerged in the water comprising the phosphorus that immerses the electrochemical cells.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the method is a method of making AlPO 4 , aluminum hydroxide, or a combination thereof, wherein:
 the water comprising phosphorus has a pH of about 5 to about 7;   the salt comprising the phosphorus comprises
 AlPO 4  or a hydrate thereof, the AlPO 4  comprising the phosphorus and Al from the anode, or 
 aluminum hydroxide or a hydrate thereof, the aluminum hydroxide comprising Al from the anode, or 
 a combination thereof; 
   the anode is about 90 wt % to about 100 wt % Al;   the cathode is about 90 wt % to about 100 wt % Cu; and   separating the salt comprising the phosphorus from the treated water provides separated AlPO 4 , aluminum hydroxide, or a combination thereof.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises adding an aqueous solution of an oxidizer to the water comprising phosphorus prior to and/or during immersion of the electrochemical cell in the water comprising phosphorus. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises adding an aqueous solution of an oxidizer to the water comprising phosphorus prior to and/or during immersion of the electrochemical cell in the water comprising phosphorus, the oxidizer comprising ferrate, ozone, ferric chloride (FeCl3), potassium permanganate, potassium dichromate, potassium chlorate, potassium persulfate, sodium persulfate, perchloric acid, peracetic acid, potassium monopersulfate, hydrogen peroxide, sodium hypochlorite, potassium hypochlorite, hydroxide, sulfite, a free radical via decomposition thereof, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises adding an aqueous solution of an oxidizer to the water comprising phosphorus prior to and/or during immersion of the electrochemical cell in the water comprising phosphorus, the oxidizer comprising hydrogen peroxide. 
     
     
         20 . A method of removing phosphorus from water, the method comprising
 immersing an electrochemical cell in water comprising phosphorus having a pH of about 5 to about 7 to form treated water comprising a salt that comprises the phosphorus, wherein the electrochemical cell is a galvanic cell, the salt comprising
 AlPO 4  or a hydrate thereof, the AlPO 4  comprising the phosphorus and Al from the anode, 
 aluminum hydroxide or a hydrate thereof, the aluminum hydroxide comprising Al from the anode, or 
 a combination thereof, 
   the electrochemical cell comprising
 an anode comprising Al, wherein the anode is about 90 wt % to about 100 wt % Al, 
 a cathode comprising Cu, wherein the cathode is about 90 wt % to about 100 wt % Cu, wherein the cathode comprises a porous cathode material, and 
 a conductive connector that electrically connects the anode and the cathode, the conductive connector comprising an alloy comprising Cu and Zn, wherein the conductive connector comprises a screw, a bolt, or a combination thereof; and 
   separating the salt comprising the phosphorus from the treated water, to form separated water having a lower phosphorus concentration than the water comprising phosphorus.