We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
The Performance of Carbonate-Modified Nonionic Surfactants in Microplastic Flotation
Summary
Researchers evaluated carbonate-modified surfactants for microplastic foam flotation, finding carbonate groups improved biodegradability and flotation over conventional options.
For a group of nonionic surfactants with polar head groups synthesized by the copolymerization of ethylene oxide and carbon dioxide, the potential for their application in the foam flotation of microplastic particles was investigated. Their performance was compared to conventional that of nonionic surfactants and correlated with their adsorption behavior at the water–air surface through the maximum-bubble-pressure technique. The carbonate content of the surfactant head groups increased the biodegradability of the surfactants and affected their foaming properties and their performance in the flotation process. Since the inserted carbonate units increased the hydrophilicity of the whole surfactant but decreased the polarity of their headgroups, the number of carbonate units can be considered as an independent tuning parameter for adjusting these surfactants to a particular application. With this feature, the countercurrent trends of the two most important performance indicators, namely the removal rate and enrichment factor, can be resolved.
Sign in to start a discussion.
More Papers Like This
Is froth flotation a potential scheme for microplastics removal? Analysis on flotation kinetics and surface characteristics
This study evaluated froth flotation as a method for removing microplastics from water, finding that surface hydrophobicity governs flotation efficiency and that the technique shows promise as a scalable treatment option for certain polymer types.
Effects and applications of surfactants on the release, removal, fate, and transport of microplastics in aquatic ecosystem: a review
Researchers reviewed how surfactants interact with microplastics in aquatic environments, finding that surfactants can modify microplastic surface properties and influence their removal during wastewater treatment processes like filtration, flotation, and coagulation. The study suggests that surfactant concentration is a crucial factor affecting both the transport and the pollutant-carrying capacity of microplastics in water systems.
Surface change of microplastics in aquatic environment and the removal by froth flotation assisted with cationic and anionic surfactants
This study found that microplastics become less water-repellent after months of sitting in natural river water due to surface weathering and mineral buildup, which makes them harder to remove by flotation methods. The researchers then showed that adding surfactants (soap-like chemicals) could restore the microplastics' water-repellent properties and make flotation effective again. This work advances practical methods for cleaning microplastics out of contaminated water.
Influence of ionic surfactant contaminants on polystyrene-air bubble interactions for microplastics removal from wastewater
Researchers investigated how ionic surfactants present in municipal and industrial wastewater affect the efficiency of froth flotation for removing polystyrene microplastics. Surfactant type and concentration strongly influenced bubble-particle interactions, with some surfactants dramatically reducing removal efficiency, highlighting a challenge for flotation-based MP removal systems.
The removal efficiency and mechanism of microplastic enhancement by positive modification dissolved air flotation
Researchers enhanced dissolved air flotation by modifying the process with positively charged surfaces to improve microplastic removal from freshwater, finding that the modified approach significantly outperformed conventional dissolved air flotation across three common polymer types.