Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Fluid Flow and Structural Analysis for the Design of Portable Microplastic Collection System

Researchers evaluated the separation performance of four cyclone system designs for a portable microplastic collection device, testing their ability to separate microplastic particles of 10, 50, and 100 µm from sand under fluid flow conditions. They found that a single-chamber internal structure achieved the highest separation efficiency, with improved performance for particles larger than 50 µm, and that structural analysis confirmed safety factors exceeding 1.5 for all integrated components.

2024 Journal of Power System Engineering
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

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

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

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

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

High-Efficiency Microplastic Sampling Device Improved Using CFD Analysis

This study used computational fluid dynamics analysis to redesign a microplastic water sampling device, improving its hydrodynamic performance and collection efficiency to address the lack of standardized sampling equipment for environmental microplastic monitoring.

2023 Sustainability 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Pengaruh Debit Aliran Terhadap Kinerja Pemisahan Limbah Microplastik Tersuspensi Menggunakan Hydrocyclone Dual Inlet Port

Researchers investigated the effect of varying flow rates on the separation performance of a dual-inlet hydrocyclone for removing suspended microplastic waste from water, measuring separation efficiency and microplastic classification outcomes across multiple flow rate conditions to optimize centrifugal separation as a practical treatment technology for microplastic-contaminated water.

2024 V-MAC (Virtual of Mechanical Engineering Article)
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

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

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

Research on the Enhancement of the Separation Efficiency for Discrete Phases Based on Mini Hydrocyclone

Researchers used numerical simulations to identify the key factors controlling separation efficiency in miniature hydrocyclones for offshore oil production fluids, providing design guidance for improving the separation of fine droplets and solid particles in space-constrained marine platforms.

2022 Journal of Marine Science and Engineering 22 citations
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

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

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

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
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

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
Review Tier 2

Research Status and Trends of Hydrodynamic Separation (HDS) for Stormwater Pollution Control: A Review

This systematic review synthesizes two decades of research on hydrodynamic separation (HDS) devices — physical systems that use vortex flow to separate particles from stormwater runoff — covering their design principles, performance, and limitations. While HDS systems effectively remove sediment and some pollutants, their performance for removing microplastics varies significantly depending on particle size and density. The review is relevant to microplastics management because stormwater is a major pathway for microplastics entering waterways, and evaluating how well current infrastructure captures them is essential for improving urban water management.

2025 Water 1 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

Small-Scale Model Experiments on Plastic Fragment Removal from Water Flows Using Multiple Filters in a Floating Body

Researchers designed small-scale floating filter devices to remove plastic fragments from water flow, testing multiple filter configurations in laboratory experiments. Physical filtration of plastic particles from water offers a practical approach to preventing microplastic accumulation in aquatic environments.

2023 Journal of Marine Science and Engineering
Article Tier 2

Evaluation of a Modular Filter Concept to Reduce Microplastics and Other Solids from Urban Stormwater Runoff

Researchers developed and bench-tested a modular decentralized stormwater filter system using sieves, sedimentation barriers, floating barriers, and a magnetic module, demonstrating effective retention of microplastics, tire powder, and other particulate matter across a range of rain intensities.

2023 Water 6 citations
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