Sun Zhenrong, Ma Chicheng, Yu Chengjiao, Li Zirui
School of Mechanical Engineering, Hebei University of Technology, Tianjin, 300401, China.
Sci Rep. 2024 Feb 26;14(1):4626. doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-54921-0.
The decomposed plastic products in the natural environment evolve into tiny plastic particles with characteristics such as small size, lightweight, and difficulty in removal, resulting in a significant pollution issue in aquatic environments. Significant progress has been made in microplastic separation technology benefiting from microfluidic chips in recent years. Based on the mechanisms of microfluidic control technology, this study investigates the enrichment and separation mechanisms of polystyrene particles in an unbuffered solution. The Faraday reaction caused by the bipolar electrodes changes the electric field gradient and improves the separation efficiency. We also propose an evaluation scheme to measure the separation efficiency. Finite element simulations are conducted to parametrically analyze the influence of applied voltages, channel geometry, and size of electrodes on plastic particle separation. The numerical cases indicate that the electrode-installed microfluidic channels separate microplastic particles effectively and precisely. The electrodes play an important role in local electric field distribution and trigger violent chemical reactions. By optimizing the microchannel structure, applied voltages, and separation channel angle, an optimal solution for separating microplastic particles can be found. This study could supply some references to control microplastic pollution in the future.
自然环境中分解的塑料制品会演变成具有尺寸小、重量轻和难以去除等特性的微小塑料颗粒，从而在水生环境中造成严重的污染问题。近年来，受益于微流控芯片，微塑料分离技术取得了重大进展。基于微流控控制技术的原理，本研究探讨了聚苯乙烯颗粒在无缓冲溶液中的富集和分离机制。双极电极引起的法拉第反应改变了电场梯度，提高了分离效率。我们还提出了一种评估分离效率的方案。进行了有限元模拟，以参数化分析施加电压、通道几何形状和电极尺寸对塑料颗粒分离的影响。数值案例表明，安装电极的微流控通道能够有效且精确地分离微塑料颗粒。电极在局部电场分布中起着重要作用，并引发剧烈的化学反应。通过优化微通道结构、施加电压和分离通道角度，可以找到分离微塑料颗粒的最佳解决方案。本研究可为未来控制微塑料污染提供一些参考。
