POTENTIAL SOLUTIONS FOR MICROPLASTIC AND NANOPLASTIC POLLUTION Design and fabrication of novel membranes for Nanoplastics removal

Details

Supervisors

Luis Alconero, Patricia

Faculty

Ecole polytechnique de Louvain

Degree label

Master [120] : ingénieur civil mécanicien, à finalité spécialisée

Abstract

enA detailed study of potential solutions for micro- and nanoplastic removal was conducted, focusing primarily on membrane-based filtration using PLA (polylactic acid) membranes. The membranes were fabricated using the Non-Solvent Induced Phase Separation (NIPS) method. Their performance was evaluated in terms of flux and rejection. Ten different membrane compositions were prepared and tested, and further analyses were carried out to identify and understand the conditions leading to optimal performance. Additional characterization techniques were employed, including Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Contact Angle (CA) measurements, and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), in order to better understand and justify the observed filtration be havior. Rejection analyses and corresponding graphs were obtained using spectrometry, using nanoplastic particles with a diameter of 100 nm dispersed in water at a concentra tion of 10 ppm. The main objective of this research is to understand the influence of membrane com position, coagulation bath composition, support layer, and additive incorporation on membrane filtration performance, particularly in relation to pore formation. This study aims to support the selection of optimal parameters and identify potential configurations that lead to improved membrane filtration efficiency