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Porous chitosan microfiltration membranes for microplastics removal
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Researchers made water filtration membranes from chitosan, a natural material, to remove microplastics from water. In lab tests, membranes made by one preparation method filtered out more than 99% of polyvinyl chloride microplastic particles, while membranes made by a different drying method did not work as well.
Microplastic contamination in water is a global problem, and its removal via membrane separation is considered one of the best solutions. Polymers traditionally used pose a threat if becoming the source of this exact pollutant. Chitosan was investigated for the production of microfiltration membranes potentially dedicated to water filtration in a dead-end regime. Two variants of phase inversion, coupled with neutralisation of the chitosan salt, were tested. Mechanical strength, surface wettability, morphology, and the separation efficiency of polyvinyl chloride microplastics were investigated. Membranes produced by precipitation from the concentrated solution proved to be suitable for the filtration application, contrary to those made as dried films produced with porogenic agents, with even >99% overall separation efficiency.
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Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.