Improved Bioactivity on Substrate Degradation in Microbial Fuel Cells Using Tourmaline-Modified Anodes

The modification of anodes to improve the startup and biodegradation is an effective way to advance the development of microbial fuel cells (MFCs) as a promising technology for wastewater treatment. This paper studied tourmaline material loaded on a carbon cloth anode to improve the performance of MFCs. The effects of different tourmaline contents on the performance of MFCs were investigated, and the tourmaline physical effect was analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), infrared spectra, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and biomass on the anode. In the MFC with a 0.1-g tourmaline-modified anode, the time required for one cycle was reduced to 24 h in the process of acclimation, and the startup time was reduced from 247 to 96 h. In addition, the degradation time of a batch was reduced to 25 h, chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal reached 91.5%, and the maximum power density was 546 mW/m2. The biomass was 5.263±0.05 nmol P/cm2 (the phosphorus content of microorganisms per square centimeter of carbon cloth). Therefore, a modified anode with proper tourmaline loading has a positive effect on the attachment of microorganisms and the startup period of MFCs.