A study on the desalination process for high-concentration Na2SO4 using pilot-scale bipolar membrane electrodialysis

The production of battery cathode materials via wet processes in the lithium battery industry generates a substantial amount of Na₂SO₄ wastewater, necessitating treatments to meet regulatory discharge standards. Bipolar membrane electrodialysis (BPED) offers an effective method to convert Na₂SO₄ was...

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Main Authors: Jiyong Joo, Jeong-ki Moon, Yulmin Jang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-04-01
Series:Desalination and Water Treatment
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1944398625002383
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author Jiyong Joo
Jeong-ki Moon
Yulmin Jang
author_facet Jiyong Joo
Jeong-ki Moon
Yulmin Jang
author_sort Jiyong Joo
collection DOAJ
description The production of battery cathode materials via wet processes in the lithium battery industry generates a substantial amount of Na₂SO₄ wastewater, necessitating treatments to meet regulatory discharge standards. Bipolar membrane electrodialysis (BPED) offers an effective method to convert Na₂SO₄ wastewater into valuable acid and base products. While a number of laboratory-scale studies have explored efficiency of BPED systems, there is a scarcity of research on pilot-scale BPED applications for Na₂SO₄ wastewater treatment. To assess industrial feasibility, a pilot-scale BPED system was systematically evaluated. In this study, the process exhibited energy consumption of 1.3 kWh/kg‐Na₂SO₄ and 0.9 kWh/kg‐Na₂SO₄ at 750 A/m2 and 550 A/m2, respectively. The H₂SO₄ and NaOH produced achieved purities of 96.1% and 99.6%, respectively. An economic analysis based on the treatment of 10,000 tons/year of a 20 wt% Na₂SO₄ solution estimated the capital expenditure (CAPEX) and operating expenditure (OPEX) at $22.2/ton-Na₂SO₄ and $229.2/ton-Na₂SO₄, respectively. These findings underscore cost-effectiveness and potential environmental advantages of upscaling the BPED process for industrial Na2SO4 wastewater treatment applications.
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spelling doaj-art-36721fb1ea17492ab866b838db53d33b2025-08-20T02:02:51ZengElsevierDesalination and Water Treatment1944-39862025-04-0132210122210.1016/j.dwt.2025.101222A study on the desalination process for high-concentration Na2SO4 using pilot-scale bipolar membrane electrodialysisJiyong Joo0Jeong-ki Moon1Yulmin Jang2Corresponding author.; Environmental & Health Research Institute, Research Institute of Industrial Science and Technology (RIST), 67 Cheongam-ro, Pohang-si, South KoreaEnvironmental & Health Research Institute, Research Institute of Industrial Science and Technology (RIST), 67 Cheongam-ro, Pohang-si, South KoreaEnvironmental & Health Research Institute, Research Institute of Industrial Science and Technology (RIST), 67 Cheongam-ro, Pohang-si, South KoreaThe production of battery cathode materials via wet processes in the lithium battery industry generates a substantial amount of Na₂SO₄ wastewater, necessitating treatments to meet regulatory discharge standards. Bipolar membrane electrodialysis (BPED) offers an effective method to convert Na₂SO₄ wastewater into valuable acid and base products. While a number of laboratory-scale studies have explored efficiency of BPED systems, there is a scarcity of research on pilot-scale BPED applications for Na₂SO₄ wastewater treatment. To assess industrial feasibility, a pilot-scale BPED system was systematically evaluated. In this study, the process exhibited energy consumption of 1.3 kWh/kg‐Na₂SO₄ and 0.9 kWh/kg‐Na₂SO₄ at 750 A/m2 and 550 A/m2, respectively. The H₂SO₄ and NaOH produced achieved purities of 96.1% and 99.6%, respectively. An economic analysis based on the treatment of 10,000 tons/year of a 20 wt% Na₂SO₄ solution estimated the capital expenditure (CAPEX) and operating expenditure (OPEX) at $22.2/ton-Na₂SO₄ and $229.2/ton-Na₂SO₄, respectively. These findings underscore cost-effectiveness and potential environmental advantages of upscaling the BPED process for industrial Na2SO4 wastewater treatment applications.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1944398625002383Na2SO4 wastewaterPilot-scale bipolar membrane electrodialysisH2SO4NaOHEconomic analysis
spellingShingle Jiyong Joo
Jeong-ki Moon
Yulmin Jang
A study on the desalination process for high-concentration Na2SO4 using pilot-scale bipolar membrane electrodialysis
Desalination and Water Treatment
Na2SO4 wastewater
Pilot-scale bipolar membrane electrodialysis
H2SO4
NaOH
Economic analysis
title A study on the desalination process for high-concentration Na2SO4 using pilot-scale bipolar membrane electrodialysis
title_full A study on the desalination process for high-concentration Na2SO4 using pilot-scale bipolar membrane electrodialysis
title_fullStr A study on the desalination process for high-concentration Na2SO4 using pilot-scale bipolar membrane electrodialysis
title_full_unstemmed A study on the desalination process for high-concentration Na2SO4 using pilot-scale bipolar membrane electrodialysis
title_short A study on the desalination process for high-concentration Na2SO4 using pilot-scale bipolar membrane electrodialysis
title_sort study on the desalination process for high concentration na2so4 using pilot scale bipolar membrane electrodialysis
topic Na2SO4 wastewater
Pilot-scale bipolar membrane electrodialysis
H2SO4
NaOH
Economic analysis
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1944398625002383
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