Novel ground granulated blast-furnace slag (GGBS) based ceramic separator with zinc ferrite coated cathode for microbial fuel cell performance enhancement

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) are potential bioelectrochemical systems for simultaneous wastewater treatment and energy harvesting, but their use is generally restricted by the high cost of proton exchange membranes and biofouling problems. In this research work, an affordable ceramic separator made from Ground Granulated Blast-furnace Slag (GGBS) was developed and coupled with a single-chamber MFC. The GGBS-based ceramic separator offered an antifouling and low-cost substitute for commercial membranes, allowing the effective ion transport and stable operation. To further improve cathodic oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), ZnFe₂O₄ nanoparticles prepared through a sol–gel route were deposited on the cathode surface. The MFC with GGBS separator and ZnFe₂O₄ cathode had a maximum power density of 5.3 W/m³ at 1.0 mg/cm² catalyst loading, a 20% increase over the control. These results illustrate that the GGBS-based ceramic separator is the major innovation for cost and fouling minimization in MFCs, and ZnFe₂O₄ is an added performance improvement, with both presenting a viable method for sustainable wastewater treatment and bioelectricity generation.