Can iron oxide in well-point water be removed by electrolysis? [closed]








**Closed**. This question needs [details or clarity](/help/closed-questions). It is not currently accepting answers.
 
 






---








**Want to improve this question?** Add details and clarify the problem by [editing this post](/posts/143215/edit).




Closed 2 years ago.








[Improve this question](/posts/143215/edit) 



Can iron oxide dissolved in well point water stored in a 1000l plastic tank be removed by using a 12V battery charger and simple electrodes? If so what material should the electrodes consist of?




If the plastic tank has access to air ,you do not need to do anything . Ferrous (
+2 ) is soluble in water . Ferric (+ 3) is not . So any ferric particles will settle out as oxides/hydroxides ,etc . Soluble ferrous iron will be oxidized by dissolved oxygen from air in hours to ferric , and settle out as oxides / hydroxides , etc. So ,with residence time to settle ,no agitation , and possible filtering , the iron in the water will be at a very low level. I accidently saw this chemistry in action once. I filled a swimming pool with private well water ( which I knew had some iron but did not treat for it) . This reqiured 12 or more hours . I turned off the pump at night , the next morning there was a couple inches of reddish jel-like layer on the bottom - the precipitated ferric iron. The standard swimming pool filter cleaned it out in about a day.


 2

I recommend following a refined version of this remedy suggested by a [state health department](https://www.health.state.mn.us/communities/environment/water/wells/waterquality/iron.html#:%7E:text=Aeration%20(injecting%20air)%20or%20chemical,will%20quickly%20plug%20the%20system), addressing iron in well water, to quote:



> 
> Aeration (injecting air) or chemical oxidation (usually adding chlorine in the form of calcium or sodium hypochlorite) followed by filtration are options if iron levels are more than 10 mg/L. Sediment filter, carbon filter, or water softeners can remove small amounts of iron, but the iron will quickly plug the system.
> 
> 
> 


My refinement on the aeration technique is to couple it with water electrolysis (liberating hydrogen and oxygen) employing carbon electrodes. And yes, the carbon electrode will breakdown, but it can be filtered out and the elemental carbon may [further absorb toxins](https://www.carbonblocktech.com/the-science-behind-activated-carbon-water-filters/#:%7E:text=In%20water%20purification%2C%20activated%20carbon,component%20in%20many%20different%20industries) in the water and even improve taste.


As to why both at once, it is to foster the transient presence of active radical oxygen species (including H2O2, which will not introduce or interact with any organics present to possibly create any persistent problematic side products).


A comment on the chemistry without the application of electricity (just aeration), if iron is presence as Fe(HCO3)2, the action of oxygen could proceed as follows:


$\ce{ 2 Fe^{2+} (aq) + 3 O2 (d) + 6 H^{+} (aq) -> 2 Fe(OH)3 (s)}$


creating red insoluble ferric hydroxide (more commonly known as rust) through the action of aeration (or electrolysis) formed dissolved oxygen.


[EDIT] Relating to aerated electrolysis, [a patent](https://patents.google.com/patent/US4005014A/en) citing an application of caption gases from electrolysis that is further fed back into the system to effect a more prolonged and beneficial aeration effect. Also, a paper: [Aerated Electrolysis For Reducing Impacts of Shale Gas Production Wastewater on Water Sources regarding Disinfectant Byproducts Formation](https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.estlett.8b00482) where the aeration process is of aid in reducing more problematic water contaminants that can be created via the electrolysis.


 -1