| Summary: | The widespread use of aluminum-based food packaging materials has significantly contributed to an increase in aluminum waste generation, the majority of which ends up in landfills. To address this issue, the current study attempted to recycle Waste Aluminum Cans (WAC) by converting them into an effective electrode for the treatment of Acid Red 18 (AR18) dye via electrocoagulation (EC). Chemical pre-treatment was used for the de-coating of WAC before its application in the EC process. A parameter study was then carried out in a batch monopolar EC cell with two chemically pre-treated WAC electrodes connected to an external DC Power supply to study the effects of current density (10 - 30 mA/cm(2)), initial pH (3 - 11), and initial dye concentration (50 - 250 mg/L) up to 30 min of reaction time. The best-operating conditions were found to be at a current density of 25 mA/cm(2), an initial pH of 6.8 (original pH of dye), and an initial dye concentration of 100 mg/L with a nearly completed decolorization of 99.4 %. The kinetic model of the various current densities was well-fitted by the first-order reaction, with R-2 values ranging from 0.8955 to 0.9914. The mathematical model for the decolorization rate of AR18 dye was successfully developed based on the reaction kinetics and empirical models. The predicted data was in good agreement with the experimental data to validate the developed mathematical model. The characterization analysis of the flocs confirmed that the main dye removal mechanisms were through charge neutralization, coagulation, and adsorption of dye onto the Al(OH)(3) flocs. In conclusion, the WAC was successfully utilized as an effective electrode for the decolorization of AR18 dye via the EC process.
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