Upcycling of Expanded Polystyrene Waste-Impregnated PVP Using Wet-Phase Inversion for Effective Microalgae Harvesting

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Environmental Science
• Chemical Engineering

Background:

• Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) waste from food packaging poses environmental challenges.
• Membrane filtration for microalgae harvesting faces issues like fouling and pore blocking.
• Sustainable methods for waste valorization are crucial for environmental remediation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the upcycling of EPS waste into membranes for microalgae harvesting.
• To evaluate the performance of EPS-based membranes for Spirulina platensis and Chlorella vulgaris biomass recovery.
• To assess the impact of Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) additive on membrane properties and performance.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of membranes from recycled EPS (Styrofoam) waste.
• Incorporation of PVP at varying concentrations (2-8 wt.%) into the EPS matrix.
• Characterization of membrane properties including flux, hydrophilicity, and surface morphology (SEM).
• Testing membrane efficiency for Spirulina platensis and Chlorella vulgaris harvesting.

Main Results:

• All fabricated EPS membranes achieved high recovery rates for Spirulina platensis biomass.
• The EPS/PVP-8 membrane exhibited a significantly enhanced water flux (970.5 LMH/Bar), double that of the pristine EPS membrane.
• PVP addition increased membrane hydrophobicity and improved pore structure and connectivity, facilitating higher flow rates.
• SEM analysis confirmed PVP's role in enlarging surface pores and enhancing membrane structure.

Conclusions:

• Upcycled EPS waste can be transformed into effective membranes for microalgae harvesting.
• EPS/PVP membranes offer a sustainable and efficient alternative to conventional methods, addressing waste accumulation.
• This approach demonstrates the potential for converting single-use plastic waste into valuable materials for water treatment applications.