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Production of recycled closed-cell aluminium foams and their application in electrocoagulation based wastewater treatment
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This thesis investigates the production of aluminium metal foams from recycled feedstock and examines their potential use as electrodes in electrocoagulation. The work is divided into two main stages: the fabrication and characterisation of the foams, and the assessment of their feasibility for electrocoagulation applications. Recycled aluminium from three alloys (6082, 7075, and A380) was utilized to fabricate metal foams using two blowing agents (TiH₂ and CaCO₃). The investigation focused on the effects of aluminium type, foaming agent type, and the mixing ratio between the base material and foaming agent on foam formation and final properties. These variables were examined through density measurements, stress–strain analysis, and energy absorption evaluation. The results indicated considerable variability among samples, underscoring the high sensitivity of the foaming process to these parameters and the inherent challenges in achieving uniform pore structures. The subsequent phase of the study investigated the application of the fabricated aluminium foams as electrodes in electrocoagulation processes. The foams' porous architecture, surface irregularities, and partially expanded regions provided numerous active sites that facilitated effective dissolution during operation. Electrocoagulation experiments were performed to assess the influence of current intensity (0.25 A and 0.50 A), electrode spacing (5 mm and 10 mm), and treatment duration. These experiments measured chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal and energy consumption. The aluminium foams served effectively as sacrificial electrodes, exhibiting strong pollutant removal, reasonable energy consumption, and consistent performance throughout the treatment periods. Although foam variability presents certain limitations, the study demonstrates that recycled aluminium foams exhibit appropriate physical and electrochemical properties for application in electrocoagulation. These results indicate the feasibility of incorporating recycled materials into sustainable treatment systems and underscore a promising approach for circular resource utilisation by converting postconsumer aluminium into functional materials for environmental technologies.
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Aluminium foams Recycled aluminium Metal foaming blowing agents Electrocoagulation Energy absorption Stress–strain behaviour Chemical oxygen demand removal Sustainable materials