Development of electrospun films from wastewater treatment plant sludge

Lavrič, Gregor (author), Miletić, Aleksandra (author), Pilić, Branka (author), Medvešček, Daša (author), Nastran, Saša (author), Vrabič Brodnjak, Urška (author)

Electrospinning is a versatile method for producing continuous polymer nanofibers, including from wastewater treatment plant sludge (WTPS). In this context, purified WTPS was successfully used to produce electrospun fibers. The main objective of our research was to produce new, local, circular, renewable and environmentally friendly packaging material. The aim of the research was to purify and treat WTPS to make it suitable for the electrospinning process, thus producing a new material and chemically characterizing it in the first step. One of the major advantages of our process was that the electrospinning process could be carried out with water and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid. The optimal viscosity was determined to be 20,000 mPas in order to produce sufficient nanofibers. Analyses such as Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and $^1$H-NMR (proton nuclear magnetic resonance) were used to determine the substances of unpurified and purified WTPS. The tensile properties, contact angle, surface properties and differential scanning calorimetry of the final material were determined and used. The $^1$H-NMR analysis confirmed the presence of a small quantity of polyhydroxyalkanoates in the samples. Based on the properties, the final material was brittle and less stretchable compared to electrospun packaging films available in the market.

• Language: English
• Keywords: wastewater treatment, electrospinning, differential scanning calorimetry, tensile properties, proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, packaging
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: NTF - Faculty of Natural Sciences and Engineering
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2021
• Number of pages: 11 str.
• Numbering: Vol. 11, iss. 6, art. 733
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-135596
• UDC: 655
• ISSN on article: 2079-6412
• DOI: 10.3390/coatings11060733
• COBISS.SI-ID: 67870467
• Publication date in RUL: 21.03.2022

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Coatings
• Shortened title: Coatings
• Publisher: MDPI AG
• ISSN: 2079-6412
• COBISS.SI-ID: 523035673

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.
• Licensing start date: 18.06.2021

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: čiščenje odpadne vode, elektropredenje, diferenčna dinamična kalorimetrija, natezne lastnosti, jedrska magnetna resonanca, embalaža

Projects

• Funder: Other - Other funder or multiple funders
• Funding programme: COST
• Project number: FP1405
• Name: Active and Intelligent Fiber-Based Packaging