Experimental validation of material and operation modes of electrode units for electrochemical conditioning of higher hardness and mineralized chloride-containing water

The experimental validation is performed for the operating parameters of electrode units for a facility meant for the electrochemical conditioning of mineralized recycling water at diamond recovery plants with a view to restoring hydrophobic properties of diamond crystals during their physicochemical extraction from kimberlite ore. The operating properties of surface of electrode units with different coatings are studied in the course of electrochemical conditioning of higher hardness and mineralized chloride-containing water with variation of water treatment parameters. The experimental research implemented at the preset conditions reveals high-rate generation of structured potassium–magnesium deposition on the surface of electrodes, which increases stresses in the electrode unit by more than two times during the unit operation for 5 hours. It is found that the most deposition-resistant surface of electrodes is its coating with spraying of a mixture of iridium and ruthenium, and the further commercial testing of the materials is recommended. It is experimentally revealed and substantiated that it is possible to clean electrode surface using the method of polarity reversal which means periodic change of polarity of an electrode unit. The interval (cycle) of the polarity change on electrodes is experimentally validated during operation of a test unit for 5 hours; such interval enables prevention of potassium–magnesium deposition on electrode surface.

Chanturia V. A., Dvoichenkova G. P., Timofeev A. S. Experimental validation of material and operation modes of electrode units for electrochemical conditioning of higher hardness and mineralized chloride-containing water. MIAB. Mining Inf. Anal. Bull. 2025;(6):5-20. [In Russ]. DOI: 10.25018/0236_1493_2025_6_0_5.

V.A. Chanturia¹, Dr. Sci. (Eng.), Professor, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Advisor to the Russian Academy of Sciences, Chief Researcher, e-mail: vchan@mail.ru, ORCID ID: 0000-0002-4410-8182,
G.P. Dvoichenkova¹, Dr. Sci. (Eng.), Assistant Professor, Chief Researcher; Professor, Mirny Polytechnic Institute (branch) of North-Eastern Federal University, Mirny, 678174, Russia, e-mail: dvoigp@mail.ru, ORCID ID: 0000-0002-0940-3880,
A.S. Timofeev¹, Cand. Sci. (Eng.), Senior Researcher, e-mail: Timofeev_ac@mail.ru, ORCID ID: 0000-0002-3382-6007,
¹ Institute of Comprehensive Exploitation of Mineral Resources Russian Academy of Sciences, 111020, Moscow, Russia.

G.P. Dvoichenkova, e-mail: dvoigp@mail.ru.

1. Leontiev R. G., Arkhipova Y. A. Development of the mining complex of the Russian Far East. IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science. 2021, vol. 723, no. 5, article 052014. DOI: 10.1088/1755-1315/723/5/052014.

2. Kovalenko E. G. Improving the scheme and mode of internal water circulation for foam separation of diamond-bearing kimberlites. Transbaikal state university journal. 2024, vol. 30, no. 2, pp. 62—71. [In Russ]. DOI: 10.21209/2227-9245-2024-30-2-62-71.

3. Chanturia V. A., Bondar S. S., Godun K. V., Goryachev B. E. Current state of the diamond mining industry in Russia and the main diamond mining countries of the world (Part 2). Gornyi Zhurnal. 2015, no. 2, pp. 67—75. [In Russ]. DOI: 10.17580/gzh.2015.03.11

4. Chanturia V. A., Dvoichenkova G. P., Chanturia E. L., Timofeev A. S. Intensification of separation processes of difficult-to-process diamond-bearing raw materials from primary, placer and man-made deposits. Fiziko-tekhnicheskie problemy razrabotki poleznykh iskopaemykh. 2022, no. 5, pp. 95—108. [In Russ].

5. Makhrachev A. F., Larionov N. P., Savitsky V. B. New directions in the technology of beneficiation of diamond-bearing raw materials at the enterprises of ALROSA. Gornyi Zhurnal. 2005, no. 7, pp. 65—68. [In Russ].

6. Chanturia V. A., Trofimova E. A., Dvoichenkova G. P., Bogachev V. I., Minenko V. G., Dikov Yu. P. Theory and practice of using the electrochemical method of water treatment to intensify the beneficiation processes of diamond-bearing kimberlites. Gornyi Zhurnal. 2005, no. 4. C. 51—55. [In Russ].

7. Dube A., Malode S. J., Alshehri M. A., Shetti N. P. Electrochemical water treatment: Review of different approaches. Journal of Environmental Management. 2025, vol. 373, article 123911. DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.123911.

8. Rzazade U., Deryabin S., Temkin I., Kondratev E., Ivannikov A. On the issue of the creation and functioning of energy efficiency management systems for technological processes of mining enterprises. Energies. 2023, vol. 16, no. 13, article 4878. DOI: 10.3390/en16134878.

9. Kazimirov E. K., Kazimirov O. E. Experience of industrial use of the electrochemical method of water treatment for water recycling systems. Khimicheskaya tekhnika. 2018, no. 1, pp. 20—23. [In Russ].

10. Mosin O. V. Electrochemical water treatment. Santekhnika. Otoplenie. Konditsionirovanie. 2013, no. 1, pp. 34—37. [In Russ].

11. Hyunseok Yoon, Hee Jo Song, Ji Seong Hyoung, Sang Won Jung, Andi Haryanto, Chan Woo Lee, Dong-Wan Kim Facet-engineered ruthenium oxide on titanium oxide oxygen evolution electrocatalysts for proton-exchange membrane water electrolysis. Applied Catalysis B: Environment and Energy. 2024, vol. 358, article 124382. DOI: 10.1016/j.apcatb.2024.124382.

12. Savitsky L. V., Babushkina A. L. Creation of local water circulation during beneficiation of diamond-bearing ores by heavy medium beneficiation. Zolotodobycha. 2020, no. 3 (256), pp. 19—22. [In Russ].

13. Maslov N. V. Environmental externalities in the development of diamond deposits.Vestnik Voronezhskogo instituta ekonomiki i sotsial'nogo upravleniya. 2024, no. 2, pp. 102—109. [In Russ].

14. Pestryak I. V., Morozov V. V., Erdenetuya O., Zhargalsaykhan E. Experimental substantiation of requirements for the composition of circulating water used in the processes of grinding and flotation of copper-molybdenum ores. Obogashchenie Rud. 2024, no. 1, pp. 26—32. [In Russ].

15. Zhen Li, Xinyuan Li, Duowen Yang, Shanshan Li, Kedi Yu, Wei Yan, Hao Xu Revolutionizing strongly acidic electrolyzed water production: A breakthrough in membrane-free pump-suction electrochemical system. Separation and Purification Technology. 2025, vol. 361, part 2, article 131449. DOI: 10.1016/j.seppur.2025.131449.

16. Xu-wei Han, Li Wang, Jin Wang Electrochemical testing of electrodes to unravel the influence of BF-MEC structure on deep purification of reclaimed water. Journal of Water Process Engineering. 2025, vol. 71, article 107320. DOI: 10.1016/j.jwpe.2025.107320.

17. Yaoze Wang, Guangfei Qu, Yun Zhang, Linjin Li, Jun Wang, Ping Lu, Yuanchuan Ren, Minhua Cheng, Yingying Cai, Junyan Li Efficient and stable chlorine evolution reaction in a neutral environment using a low-ruthenium-doped CuMnRu/CC electrode. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy. 2025, vol. 112, pp. 369—377. DOI: 10.1016/j.ijhydene.2025.02.417.

18. Prisyazhnyuk V. A. Physicochemical foundations for preventing salt crystallization on heat exchange surfaces. Santekhnika. Otoplenie. Konditsionirovanie. 2003, no. 10, pp. 26—30. [In Russ].

19. Sijia Lu, Xiaoliang Li, Xing Zheng, Huiyan Zhao, Zhijuan Tian, Gang Tang, Ruoyu Lei, Pengyu Zhuang, Tuo Wei, Shizhang Wu Electrochemical effects on carbon steel in circulating cooling water systems: Scaling, corrosion and chemicals synergies. Journal of Water Process Engineering. 2024, vol. 63, article 105337. DOI: 10.1016/j.jwpe.2024.105337.

20. Dvoychenkova G. P. Razvitie teorii i sovershenstvovanie protsessov glubokoy pererabotki kimberlitovykh rud slozhnogo veshchestvennogo sostava na osnove elektrokhimicheskogo modifitsirovaniya poverkhnostnykh svoystv almazov [Development of the theory and improvement of deep processing processes of kimberlite ores of complex material composition based on electrochemical modification of the surface properties of diamonds], Doctor’s thesis, Moscow, 2018, 42 p.

21. Yang Qiu, Haihong Song, Zhaohua Wang, Songlei Han Enhancing electrode lifespan in an ammonia removal system: Investigating the potential of polarization reversal and examining longterm scaling mechanisms. Journal of Water Process Engineering. 2023, vol. 56, article 104419. DOI: 10.1016/j.jwpe.2023.104419.

22. Bongyeon Jung, Shengcun Ma, Chia Miang Khor, Noman Khalid Khanzada, Arezou Anvari, Xinyi Wang, Sungju Im, Jishan Wu, Unnati Rao, Alicia Kyoungjin An, Hoek E. M. V., Jassby D. Impact of polarity reversal on inorganic scaling on carbon nanotube-based electrically-conducting nanofiltration membranes. Chemical Engineering Journal. 2023, vol. 452, part 2, article 139216. DOI: 10.1016/j. cej.2022.139216.