On the Electrochemical Deoxygenation of Water with a Nanocomposite Containing Copper Metal Nanoparticles and an Ion-Exchange Polymer Matrix

The process of electrochemical deoxygenation of water in an open flow system using a high-capacity Cu(0)-containing nanocomposite based on a Lewatit K 2620(Na + ) ion-exchange matrix is theoretically substantiated and implemented. Functioning is ensured by the simultaneous reduction of oxygen by means of polarization by an external current and due to the oxidation of copper nanoparticles with the formation of solid-phase products. It is shown that in a multistage electrochemical block filled with a granular nanocomposite layer, the process reaches a steady state over time, the rate of which is controlled by the value of the polarizing current. A seven-stage electrochemical unit is capable of continuously deoxygenating water by 95–96%. An additional chemical block increases the level of water deoxygenation to 99.9% or more. Theoretical calculation shows that for a rather long period (~10 4 h) the residual oxygen content can be ~1–3 μg/L (ppb).