A new method for sludge dewatering is presented

in which a horizontal electric field is applied in order to facilitate the dissipation of the gases produced at electrodes and to prevent the drying of the anodic region that would result in a high electric resistance.The effects of the magnitude of electric field strength

starting pH

flocculants

freezing and heating adjustment on the dewatering performance are examined.Scanning Electron Microscopy of the concentrated sludge obtained by electrodewatering and vacuum filtration show that electrodewatering is effective in the removal of capillary water in sludge floc.At 1200V·cm -1 electic field strength

sludge concentration could be increased from 3% to 8%

indicating an over 60% removal of water from the sludge.Compared with the conventional electrodewatering method employing a vertical electric field

the method described in the present study has the advantages of simple in structure

high efficiency

and easy operation

making it promising for large scale application.