Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

The Standard and Reverse Mode Operation of a Hydrocyclone for Microplastic Separation

Researchers tested whether hydrocyclones — low-cost centrifugal separation devices — could efficiently separate microplastics from water, finding that particles denser than water were captured in standard mode while lighter particles required reverse mode operation. The system effectively separated all four test microplastic types based on density, suggesting hydrocyclones are a scalable, low-energy option for removing microplastics from industrial and municipal water streams.

2024 Microplastics 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Migration and Removal of Microplastics in a Dual-Cone Mini-Hydrocyclone

Researchers analysed microplastic migration and separation in a dual-cone mini-hydrocyclone using a numerically verified model, examining how feed flow rate, MP volume fraction, and particle density affect separation efficiency. They found that separation efficiency improved with higher flow rates (reaching 78.56% at 10 m/s for 50 micrometre MPs) but decreased at higher MP volume fractions due to particle collisions, while MPs with densities below water achieved near-complete separation of 98.51%.

2025 Symmetry
Article Tier 2

High-efficiency microplastic removal in water treatment based on short flow control of hydrocyclone: Mechanism and performance

Researchers developed an improved mini-hydrocyclone device that removes over 98% of microplastics from water, a 34% improvement over conventional designs. The device uses tiny overflow channels to prevent small plastic particles from escaping during the separation process. This technology could be scaled up for industrial water treatment, helping to remove microplastics before treated water reaches the environment or drinking water supplies.

2024 Water Research 13 citations
Article Tier 2

Comparative study of the performance of conventional and modified hydrocyclones in the removal of microplastics in aqueous media.

Researchers compared the performance of conventional and modified hydrocyclone designs for removing microplastics and nanoplastics from aqueous media, evaluating design modifications that could improve separation efficiency given growing evidence of microplastic ingestion risks to humans and animals.

2022 LA Referencia (Red Federada de Repositorios Institucionales de Publicaciones Científicas)
Article Tier 2

Optimising miniaturised hydrocyclones for enhanced separation of microplastics

Researchers optimized the design of miniaturized hydrocyclones for separating small microplastics in the 5-20 micrometer range from water. Using computational fluid dynamics simulations, they identified optimal inlet geometry and flow conditions that significantly improved particle separation efficiency. The study demonstrates that mini-hydrocyclones could serve as a compact and energy-efficient technology for removing very small microplastics from water treatment systems.

2024 Chemical Engineering Journal 19 citations
Article Tier 2

Effect of hydrocyclone size on microplastics separation: a computational fluid dynamics investigation

Researchers used computer fluid dynamics simulations to test how the size of a hydrocyclone — a cone-shaped device that uses spinning water to separate particles — affects its ability to remove microplastics from water. Smaller hydrocyclones generated stronger centrifugal forces and recovered more microplastics, though they also required more energy, revealing a trade-off that engineers must balance in real-world water treatment systems.

2025 South African Journal of Chemical Engineering
Article Tier 2

Enhanced microplastic removal using a mini-hydrocyclone with microbubbles

Researchers improved microplastic separation from water by combining mini-hydrocyclones with microbubble injection, finding that the microbubbles reduced apparent microplastic density and substantially improved separation efficiency for particles with densities similar to water.

2025 Water Research
Article Tier 2

Assessing Hydrocyclone System’s Efficiency in Water-Borne Microplastics Capture Using Online Microscopy Sensors

Researchers evaluated the efficiency of a hydrocyclone-based system for capturing water-borne microplastics, integrating online microscopy sensors to provide real-time monitoring of capture effectiveness and feedback for adaptive control under varying operating conditions.

2025 Sensors
Article Tier 2

Comparison and uncertainty evaluation of two centrifugal separators for microplastic sampling

Researchers compared a hydrocyclone and a continuous flow centrifuge as alternative centrifugal separators for small microplastic sampling from estuarine waters, finding both methods effective with microplastic concentrations ranging from 193 to 2,072 particles/m3 across sampling sites.

2021 Journal of Hazardous Materials 47 citations
Article Tier 2

Effect of hydrocyclone design in microplastics-water separation by using computational fluid dynamics simulations

Researchers used computer fluid dynamics simulations to test and optimize the design of hydrocyclones — spinning funnel-shaped devices that use centrifugal force to separate particles from water — for removing microplastics, finding an optimized geometry that achieved 76% microplastic recovery. The results show that carefully tuning the proportions of a hydrocyclone's components can significantly improve its ability to filter microplastics from water at scale.

2024 Results in Engineering 17 citations
Article Tier 2

Numerical study on the mechanism of microplastic separation from water by cyclonic air flotation

This numerical study modeled the separation of microplastics from water using cyclone separators, optimizing design parameters and flow conditions to improve removal efficiency across different particle sizes and densities.

2024 Water Research 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Evaluation of a Water Treatment System for Removing Microplastic in an Aqueous Media

Researchers evaluated the microplastic removal efficiency of a hybrid water treatment system combining a Bradley-type hydrocyclone, sand filter, and polymeric microfiltration membrane, applying mass balance equations and solid-liquid separation models to determine removal performance across different MP size fractions.

2025 Revista de Gestão Social e Ambiental
Article Tier 2

Computational fluid dynamics and artificial neural network based modeling of microplastics seperation using hydrocyclone

This study used computational fluid dynamics and artificial neural networks to model the separation of microplastics using hydrocyclone technology, aiming to improve removal efficiency for these environmental contaminants from water. The combined modeling approach provided a framework for optimizing hydrocyclone design for microplastic removal.

2024
Article Tier 2

Study of increasing the flow rate of acoustic separation in a circular tube for microplastics collection

Researchers investigated acoustic separation as a method to collect microplastics smaller than 300 micrometers from water inside circular tubes, finding that increasing flow rates is feasible to improve collection efficiency.

2023 The Proceedings of Mechanical Engineering Congress Japan
Article Tier 2

Optimization of elutriation device for filtration of microplastic particles from sediment

Researchers optimized an elutriation device — which uses upward water flow to separate particles by density — achieving high microplastic recovery rates from sediment by adjusting flow rate and column diameter. The optimized device provides a practical, low-cost tool for extracting microplastics from environmental sediment samples in research and monitoring programs.

2015 Marine Pollution Bulletin 55 citations
Article Tier 2

Comparative Removal Efficiency of Polypropylene Microplastics from Aqueous Solutions by Filtration, Centrifugation, and Flocculation

Researchers compared three methods (filtration, centrifugation, and flocculation) for removing polypropylene microplastics from laboratory water samples, evaluating removal efficiency and practicality for use as a foundation for standardized environmental water treatment protocols.

2025 Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Understanding and Improving Microplastic Removal during Water Treatment: Impact of Coagulation and Flocculation

Researchers systematically tested coagulation and flocculation for removing microplastics from drinking water, finding that removal efficiency depended strongly on plastic particle size and whether particles had been weathered, with smaller pristine particles being the hardest to remove.

2020 Environmental Science & Technology 424 citations
Article Tier 2

In depth characterisation of hydrocyclones: Ascertaining the effect of geometry and operating conditions on their performance

Researchers conducted detailed experiments on hydrocyclones — spinning devices used to separate solids from liquids in industrial waste streams — testing how the shape, size, and operating pressure together affect how well they work. Their findings provide practical guidance for designing more efficient industrial water recycling and waste treatment systems.

2023 Advanced Powder Technology 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Comparison of Different Procedures for Separating Microplastics from Sediments

Researchers compared three different methodologies for separating dense microplastics from fine sediments, finding significant differences in recovery rates and identifying contamination risks during the separation procedures.

2021 Water 29 citations
Article Tier 2

The Effect of Filter Media Size and Loading Rate to Filter Performance of Removing Microplastics using Rapid Sand Filter

This study evaluated how filter media size and hydraulic loading rate affect rapid sand filter performance in removing microplastics from water. Smaller sand media (0.39 mm) and lower loading rates achieved greater MP removal, suggesting that optimizing these parameters can improve conventional water treatment for plastic particles.

2022 Journal of Engineering and Technological Sciences 12 citations
Article Tier 2

Cyclone Shapes for Sand and Microplastic Separation: Efficiency and Reynolds Number Relationships

This study compared three cyclone separator designs for their ability to separate microplastics from beach sand, finding that a cone-shaped design achieved near-perfect efficiency for denser plastic types but lower efficiency for lightweight Styrofoam. Cyclone-based separation offers a promising mechanical approach for cleaning microplastics from coastal sediments at scale.

2024 Separations 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Efektivitas Filter Pasir dalam Menyisihkan Kelimpahan Mikroplastik pada Air Baku Air Minum: Tinjauan Literatur

This Indonesian literature review analyzed the effectiveness of sand filters in removing microplastics from drinking water sources, finding that rapid sand filters achieved up to 98% removal efficiency primarily through physical interception and adsorption mechanisms.

2025 Empiricism Journal
Article Tier 2

Microplastics Removal in a Dynamic Coagulation-Flocculation-Sedimentation System

Researchers compared microplastic removal during standard jar tests (batch) and continuous-flow flocculation systems, finding that flocculation mechanisms and removal efficiency differed significantly between the two setups. Conventional jar testing may overestimate microplastic removal because the flow conditions in real treatment plants are different. These findings have direct implications for designing more effective microplastic removal in full-scale water treatment facilities.

2023 TSpace
Article Tier 2

High-throughput processing of microplastics based on Z-type radial flow separator: Fluid flow characteristics

Researchers developed an innovative Z-type radial flow separator (ZRS) that converts axial to radial-spiral composite flow to overcome the limitations of traditional sand filters, demonstrating enhanced high-throughput and deep separation performance for microplastics when combined with activated alumina adsorption.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials