Aleksander de Rosset, Rafael Torres-Mendieta, Grzegorz Pasternak, Fatma Yalcinkaya
The removal of microplastics and oil from oil-water emulsions presents significant challenges in membrane technology due to issues with low permeability, rejection rates, and membrane fouling. This study focuses on enhancing nanofibrous composite membranes to effectively separate microplastic contaminants (0.5 micrometer) and oil-water emulsions in wastewater. Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) polymeric nanofibers were produced using a needle-free electrospinning technique and attached to a nonwoven surface through lamination. The membranes were modified with alkaline treatment, biosurfactant (BS), TiO_2, and CuO particles to prevent fouling and improve separation efficiency. The modified membranes demonstrated exceptional water permeability, with BS-modified membranes reaching above 9000 Lm^{-2} h^{-1} bar^{-1} for microplastic separation. However, BS modifications led to reduced water permeability during oil-water emulsion treatment. TiO_2 and CuO further enhanced permeability and reduced fouling. The TiO_2-modified membranes exhibited superior performance in oil-water emulsion separation, maintaining high oil rejection rates (~95%) and antifouling properties. The maximum microplastic and oil rejection rates were of 99.99% and 95.30%, respectively. This study illustrates the successful modification of membrane surfaces to improve the separation of microplastics and oil-water emulsions, offering significant advancements in wastewater treatment technology.
| Subjects: | Chemical Physics (physics.chem-ph) |
| Cite as: | arXiv:2501.09529 [physics.chem-ph] |
| (or arXiv:2501.09529v1 [physics.chem-ph] for this version) | |
| https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2501.09529Focus to learn more | |
| Journal reference: | Process Saf. Environ. Prot., 194, 2025, 997-1009 |
| Related DOI: | https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psep.2024.12.059Focus to learn more |
Submission history
From: Aleksander De Rosset [view email]
[v1] Thu, 16 Jan 2025 13:26:33 UTC (1,074 KB)
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE
GET WET! 