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Go to Editorial ManagerThe electrodes material plays an important role in the amount of electricity produced in microbial fuel cells (MFCs). Metal electrodes used in MFCs are subject to biological and concentration cell corrosion which leads to a decrease in the cell efficiency. In the present work, the corrosion behavior of three selected electrode materials, namely, stainless steel, copper, and zinc under different operating conditions was investigated and discussed. In anode chamber, the microorganism (MO) used was Saccharomyces cerevisiae (yeast) with sodium acetate as a substrate forming the microbial corrosive solution. In the cathode chamber, the corrosive solution is aerated water. The effects of different operating parameters on the corrosion rate (CR) of these electrodes were studied such as: microorganism concentration, aeration of cathode chamber, and flow velocity in cathode chamber. The potential of the each electrode was measured to understand the corrosion behavior of electrodes and the produced current was also investigated. It was found that the corrosion rate of the electrodes in both anode and cathode chambers increases with increasing MO concentration in anode chamber and with increasing agitation speed in cathode chamber. The bio-corrosion is an important part of the corrosion occurring in microorganism chamber. The stainless steel exhibited the lowest corrosion rate for the whole investigated range of operating parameters followed by copper. The zinc electrode was found to be poor as an electrode in MFC as its corrosion rate was very high in all conditions investigated. In addition, this study showed that the air pumping in water chamber causes an appreciable increase in the corrosion rate in both chambers and an increase in the produced current.
The separation of water from crude oil emulsions is a critical and complex challenge in petroleum production and processing. Water-in-oil (W/O) emulsions increase viscosity, pose corrosion risks, reduce refining efficiency, and raise significant environmental concerns. Traditional separation methods often struggle with stable emulsions containing small droplets due to limitations in cost, environmental impact, and effectiveness. Electro-coalescence demulsification has emerged as a promising technique that applies electric fields to enhance droplet coalescence, facilitating efficient water removal. This comprehensive review examines the influence of electrode geometry on electro-coalescence systems in depth, synthesizes key findings from numerous studies, and provides a detailed analysis of electrode spacing calculations, critical conditions for effective demulsification, and optimal operational parameters. By exploring these aspects comprehensively, the review offers insights into how electrode design affects demulsification efficiency, guiding future advancements in crude oil processing and contributing to more sustainable practices in the petroleum industry.