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Performance Validation of the SATOORNIK S20 Separation System for Mixed Microplastics and a Biopolymer Using Shadowgraphy Analyzer V2.6
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A lab test checked a machine called the SATOORNIK S20, which uses magnets to filter tiny plastic particles from water. Researchers mixed five types of plastic and a plant-based plastic together in water, ran the mixture through the machine three times, and measured how much plastic was removed using an imaging tool. On average, 99.98% of the particles were removed across the three tests.
ABSTRACT: Microplastics from different polymer families occur together in real waste streams, yet separation performance is usually documented for single materials. This work presents a performance evaluation of the SATOORNIK S20, a high-capacity magnetic-assisted separation system, challenged with a mixed suspension of polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), and the biopolymer polylactic acid (PLA). Three independent 5 L tests (T1–T3) were conducted to validate system reliability. Pre- and post-filtration particle content was quantified by image-based analysis using the SATOORNIK Shadowgraphy Analyzer V2.6, introduced here for the first time as the cloud-based successor to the Size and Shape V2025 software used in earlier SATOORNIK publications. Removal efficiency exceeded 99.9% in all three tests, giving an overall mean separation efficiency of 99.98% (SD ±0.02%; CV = 0.02%). These findings extend the documented performance baseline of the S20 system to mixed-polymer microplastic suspensions including a biopolymer, supporting its applicability as a sealed, proprietary unit without disclosure of internal design or mechanism.
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