A joint research team of Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST) and Korea Institute of Industrial Technology (KITECH) developed the first technology that removes microplastics in water through a triboelectric nanogenerator. It should solve the problem of various micro-toxic particles in water, including microplastics, which have emerged as a huge environmental concern.
Last week, a research team led by Professor Lee Ju-hyuck of the Department of Energy Science and Engineering of DGIST developed an eco-friendly microplastic removal technology that can remove micro-to-nano-sized microplastics in the water. They have been collaborating with a research team of the Korea Institute of Industrial Technology led by Dr Cho Han-cheol.
Microplastics are very small plastics (usually less than 5mm) that accumulate in the body. They are a threat to humans by disturbing biological functions and so forth. These microplastics are mainly introduced into the ocean. They eventually affect humans by disrupting the endocrine system of the marine life system. A technology to filter microplastics is needed to minimise the harm.
However, it is difficult to separate or dispose of microplastics in the water using filters due to their small sizes. Nano-particles create problems that are difficult to overcome, such as clogging and environmental pollution when removing them using a filter. For this, there is a need for a new and eco-friendly method to overcome these limitations.
Achievements of the microplastics-removing research
The research team developed the world’s first eco-friendly power generation device that removes fine particles in the water. It combined the triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) and the particle removal technology via electrophoresis.
As TENG generates electrical energy through physical energy, they could manufacture eco-friendly microplastic filters. Since it could utilise the high voltage characteristic of triboelectric energy, it does not require a special external power source. That means it can be operated without being restricted by location.
The new porous microstructure-based TENG developed through this study showed more than threefold higher output than the existing TENG. The new TENG showed that the removal rate of micro-sized microplastic particles was 21.4%, about 5.6 times higher than that of the existing TENG. This technology confirmed that it could remove micro-sized microplastics and micro-toxic particles such as nano-sized zinc oxides and silicon dioxides.
Meanwhile, this research was conducted jointly by Professor Lee Ju-hyuck of DGIST, the research team of Dr Cho Han-cheol of KITECH, and the research team of Professor Kim Sang-woo of Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU). The result of the research was published in ‘Nano Energy,’ one of the prominent international scientific journals in energy engineering, online on June 11. It will be published in the journal in September.
Lee Cheol-jae in the combined master’s and doctorate program in the Department of Energy Science and Engineering of DGIST and Park Byeong-geon in the doctorate program of KITECH (Department of Mechanical Engineering, Busan National University) participated as the first authors.
This study was conducted with the support of the National Research Foundation and the Ministry of Science and ICT.
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