Electrochemical Incineration of Human Wastes in Confined Spaces: a Concept of Green Technology

The problems posed by wastes are particularly demanding in space vehicles where it is desirable to utilize treatments that will convert wastes into chemicals that can be eventually recycled. Chemical treatments have proved relatively unsatisfactory and tend to be increasingly so with increase-of the mission time. However, use of heat to destroy waste and convert them to CO2 by the use of air oxygen has the disadvantage and difficulties of dissipating heat in a space environment and the inevitable presence of oxides of nitrogen and carbon monoxide in the effluent gases . Here in particular, electrochemical techniques offer several advantages including the low temperatures which may be used and the absence of any NO and CO in the evolved gases i.e. carbondioxide, hydrogen and nitrogen. For these reasons above, initiatives have been undertaken by us to develop a novel technology of waste removal by electrochemical methods. Technology may also be used to decompose domestic and sewerage wastes. The book would not only be useful for industrial purposes but also to research as well as graduate students of applied electrochemistry.