Abstract
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 1H-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 1H-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.
Highlights
The extensive consumption of natural resources in recent years is reflected in the increasing consumption of packaging [1], which causes the increase of the amount of plastic waste
The aim of the research was to clean and treat the wastewater treatment plant sludge in such a way that it is suitable for the electrospinning process, creating a new material
Preparation of wastewater treatment plant sludge solution (WTPS): The WTPS was obtained from the main wastewater treatment plant of Ljubljana
Summary
The extensive consumption of natural resources in recent years is reflected in the increasing consumption of packaging [1], which causes the increase of the amount of plastic waste. The current global health crisis has highlighted the importance of using local and accessible raw materials that do not have to travel long distances to reach the consumer. These facts indicate that all future packaging materials should be renewable, environmentally friendly and, if possible, made from alternative raw materials (e.g., industrial waste) [3,4]. Waste is described as a product or by-product substance derived from industrial or agricultural processes or other activities with end-use purposes [5]. Waste can be a direct result of processing technology or the product of secondary treatment of waste streams, for example, wastewater, which produces several types of wastewater treatment plant sludge
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