Photoactivated Agglomerating Agent for Microplastic Water Separation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for removing microplastic particles and pollutants from water are inefficient, costly, and generate significant waste due to the small particle size and difficulty in separation, with current flocculants and filtration technologies failing to effectively separate microplastics from other solids, and alternative methods face issues with ecotoxicity and separation challenges.
Innovation Solution
An agglomerating agent comprising a water-insoluble film-former, photoinitiator, solvent, and preservative is used to form a film on the water surface, which is photoactivated to polymerize and bind microplastic particles and pollutants, forming agglomerates that can be easily separated.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If mechanical separation by filtration is used to remove microplastic particles, then microplastic particles can be removed from wastewater, but large-volume depth filtration or microfiltration using membranes with small pore sizes is required, resulting in high costs and mixing of microparticles with other solids
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses an agglomerating agent as an intermediary substance that binds microplastic particles together to form larger agglomerates. This mediator enables easier separation without requiring complex membrane filtration systems, directly resolving the contradiction between effective microplastic removal and system complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines multiple microplastic particles into larger agglomerates through the action of the agglomerating agent. By merging small particles into larger structures, the system achieves effective removal without needing complex small-pore filtration membranes
2Quantity of substance
If flocculants are used to remove turbidity by forming larger microflocs, then colloidal particles can be removed, but a mixture of separated colloidal particles and microplastic particles is always present, resulting in a large volume of waste containing microplastic particles
Solution Approach 1:
The agglomerating agent exhibits selective binding properties, preferentially binding to microplastic particles rather than colloidal particles. This local quality difference in binding affinity enables selective removal of microplastics while leaving colloidal particles for separate treatment, reducing contamination of microplastic waste streams
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the waste treatment process into distinct stages: first removing colloidal particles through conventional flocculation, then selectively agglomerating and removing microplastic particles. This segmentation prevents mixing of different particle types in the final waste stream
3Quantity of substance
If hybrid silica material with tubular structures is used to trap microplastic particles, then microplastic particles can be trapped, but the trapped microplastic particles are subsequently difficult to separate from the hybrid silica material
Solution Approach 1:
The agglomerating agent enables extraction of microplastic particles from the water matrix by forming discrete, separable agglomerates. Unlike trapping methods that embed particles within structures, this approach extracts particles as distinct entities that can be easily removed from the treatment system
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces mechanical trapping structures (tubular silica frameworks) with a chemical-aggregation approach. Instead of relying on physical trapping mechanisms that require complex separation equipment, the system uses chemical agglomeration followed by simple gravity-based or flotation-based separation
4Quantity of substance
If alkyltrichlorosilane and/or silsesquioxane are used to modify activated carbon for agglomeration, then microplastic particles can aggregate, but ecotoxicological concerns of the substances used are not completely eliminated
Solution Approach 1:
The agglomerating agent is designed as a biodegradable, environmentally benign substance that performs its function and then degrades harmlessly. Unlike persistent chemical modifiers like alkyltrichlorosilane, this agent offers temporary action without long-term ecotoxicological concerns, aligning with the principle of using disposable, non-persistent substances
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The agglomerating agent effectively and selectively binds microplastic particles and pollutants, minimizing waste generation by forming insoluble agglomerates that can be easily removed from the water surface, using natural components and avoiding premature polymerization.
Implementation Method 1
photoactivation of the photoinitiator leads to polymerization of the monomers and the formation of agglomerates for binding microplastic particles and/or pollutants in water
Implementation Method 2
photoactivation of the photoinitiator leads to polymerization of the monomers and the formation of agglomerates
Implementation Method 3
a largely water-insoluble film-forming agent for forming a film on the water surface
Implementation Method 4
an agglomerating agent for binding microplastic particles and/or pollutants in water
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to an agglomerating agent for binding microplastic particles and/or pollutants in water, wherein the agglomerating agent comprises a largely water-insoluble film former for forming a film on the water surface and a preservative for preserving the agglomerating agent, wherein the agglomerating agent comprises monomers, a photoinitiator, and a solvent for dissolving the photoinitiator, wherein the monomers comprise an acrylated and/or epoxidized vegetable oil, such that photoactivation of the photoinitiator leads to polymerization of the monomers and the formation of agglomerates for binding microplastic particles and/or pollutants in water. The invention further relates to a method for producing an agglomerating agent, a water treatment device, and a water treatment process.