Professor Tizazu Mekonnen, a member of the Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology's Institute for Polymer Research (IPR), and his research team have developed a novel 3D-printed filtration system capable of removing up to 90 per cent of microplastics from water. The low-cost, customizable technology uses biodegradable polymer materials and a unique filter design to significantly outperform many existing microplastic removal methods.
The gravity-driven filtration system combines specially engineered porous filter disks with an adhesive coating that enhances the capture of microplastic particles as water flows through the system. The technology has potential applications in household water treatment systems, wastewater treatment facilities, and other industrial water purification processes.
The research, conducted in collaboration with MASc student Ethan Crawford, demonstrates a promising new approach to addressing the growing presence of microplastics in water systems and the environment.
The study, 3D-printed, flow-through water filters for microplastic capture: The effect of surface porosity, column height, and pressure-sensitive adhesives on removal efficiency, was recently published in Separation and Purification Technology.
For the full article, visit: https://uwaterloo.ca/chemical-engineering/news/new-3d-printed-filters-capture-microplastics-high-efficiencyNew 3D-printed filters capture microplastics with high efficiency.