Papers

20 results
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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 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

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

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

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

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

CFD Simulation of DAF processing for removal microplastic in different flotation solution

Researchers used computational fluid dynamics to simulate dissolved air flotation (DAF) for removing microplastics from various wastewater types. The simulations showed that optimal bubble-to-particle ratios and flow conditions significantly improved removal efficiency, providing a design framework for scaling up DAF in water treatment systems.

2025 Water Science & Technology
Article Tier 2

Modelling and application of dissolved air flotation for efficient separation of microplastics from sludges and sediments

Researchers developed and tested predictive models for dissolved air flotation (DAF) — a process that uses tiny air bubbles to lift particles out of water — to more efficiently remove microplastics from industrial sludge and sediments. The models accurately predicted how different plastic types, sizes, and shapes attach to air bubbles, enabling better design of microplastic removal systems at industrial scale.

2024 Journal of environmental chemical engineering 20 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

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.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 76 citations
Article Tier 2

Model analysis of electroflotation water treatment of wastewater containing microplastics

This study developed a mathematical model describing how electroflotation can remove microplastics from wastewater, identifying key factors affecting efficiency. Better process models help optimize treatment systems for removing plastic particles before they enter waterways.

2023 Journal of Civil Engineering and Environmental Sciences
Article Tier 2

Removal of Micro/Nano-Plastics from Water by Flotation Technology: A Review

This review covers flotation technology as a method for removing micro- and nanoplastics from water, explaining how dissolved air flotation, electroflotation, and froth flotation work to separate plastic particles. The authors assess performance data across particle sizes and polymer types and identify remaining challenges for scaling these approaches.

2025 JORDANIAN JOURNAL OF ENGINEERING AND CHEMICAL INDUSTRIES (JJECI)
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

Capturing Microplastics from Aquatic Systems Using Vortex-based Cyclone Technique

This study developed a vortex-based cyclone technique to capture microplastics from water, offering an alternative to filtration and sedimentation methods. The approach could be applied in water treatment to efficiently separate microplastics before they enter drinking water supplies or waterways.

2023 Global NEST International Conference on Environmental Science & Technology 2 citations
Article Tier 2

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.

2020 Water Environment Research 90 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

Coupled CFD-DEM modelling to assess settlement velocity and drag coefficient of microplastics

Researchers used computational fluid dynamics coupled with particle simulations to model how the size, shape, and density of microplastics affect their settling velocity and drag in water. Accurate physical models of microplastic behavior are essential for predicting where particles accumulate in rivers, lakes, and the ocean.

2020 1 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

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

Settling model to predict microplastics removal efficiency in wastewater treatments

A mathematical settling model was built to predict how efficiently wastewater treatment plants remove microplastics based on particle density, size, shape, and surface loading rates. The model shows that dense, large, spherical particles settle most readily, while light fibers and films are far harder to remove — providing treatment plant operators and engineers with a practical tool for optimizing processes to reduce the discharge of microplastics into rivers and coastal waters.

2024 Environmental Progress & Sustainable Energy 3 citations