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Hydro Cyclonic Separation of Polyester Microfibers from Washing Machine Wastewater
Summary
Researchers investigated using a hydro cyclone separator to capture polyester microfibers from washing machine wastewater before they enter sewage treatment, finding it a potentially viable low-energy method to reduce microfiber pollution.
Clothing made from synthetic materials shed fibers in washing machines, and these fibers find their way into the effluent water. These fibers can absorb toxic materials in wastewater treatment plants and can then carry these toxins into other aquatic environments. It’s believed that a hydro cyclone could be scaled down enough to fit into a washing machine and could be used to filter out up to 80% of the microparticles from the effluent water. It’s proposed to investigate if a hydro cyclone can be used for this application. The overall goal was for the hydro cyclone to concentrate the micro plastics into a semi solid sludge. A hydro cyclone design and reservoir were designed and tested to show a system efficiency of up to 90%, and the reservoir was able to collect the particles in such a way that they could be disposed of in the trash.