DOI QR코드

DOI QR Code

Separation of micro-plastics from sea water using electromagnetic archimedes force

  • N. Nomura (Fukui University of Technology) ;
  • F. Mishima (Fukui University of Technology) ;
  • S. Nishijima (Fukui University of Technology)
  • Received : 2023.06.12
  • Accepted : 2023.09.28
  • Published : 2023.09.30

Abstract

Pollution of the environment by micro-plastics is now a worldwide problem. Plastics are difficult to decompose and put a great load on the marine environment. Especially a plastic with a size of 5 mm or less is defined as micro-plastic and are carried by ocean currents over long distances, causing global pollution. These are not easily decomposed in the natural environment. In this paper, we aimed to experimentally demonstrate that micro-plastics in seawater can be continuously separated by electromagnetic Archimedes force. Using polyethylene particles of 3 mm in diameter as the separation target, a flow channel was fabricated and separation conditions were investigated by particle trajectory calculations for separation experiments. Based on the calculation results, a solenoid-type superconducting magnet was used as a source of magnetic field to conduct separation experiments of micro-plastics in seawater. Although a high separation rate was assumed in the simulation results, the experimental results did not show any significant improvement in the separation rate due to the electromagnetic Archimedes force. It was found that the gas generated by the electrolytic reaction may have inhibited the migration of the particles.

Keywords

References

  1. Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, Global Plastics OutlookEconomic Drivers, Environmental Impacts and Policy Options, 2022
  2. Atsuhiko Isobe, Keiichi Uchida, Tadashi Tokai, Shinsuke Iwasaki,East Asian seas: A hot spot of pelagic micro-plastics,Marine Pollution Bulletin,Volume 101, Issue 2,2015,Pages 618-623 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2015.10.042
  3. Mato Y, Isobe T, Takada H, Kanehiro H, Ohtake C, Kaminuma T. Plastic resin pellets as a transport medium for toxic chemicals in the marine environment. Environ Sci Technol. 2001 Jan 15;35(2):318-24. https://doi.org/10.1021/es0010498
  4. N. Nomura, F. Mishima, and S. Nishijima, Study of micro-plastics separation from sea water with electro-magnetic force, Progress in Superconductivity and Cryogenics Vol.23, No.3, 2021, pp.10~13
  5. N. Nomura, F. Mishima, and S. Nishijima: Study of micro-plastics separation from sea water with electro-magnetic force, IEEE, Transactions on applied superconductivity, Vol. 32, No. 6, September 2022
  6. D. Leenov and A. Kolin, "Theory of Electromagnetophpresis I. Magnetohydrodynamics Forces Experienced by Spherical and Symmetrically Oriented Cylindrical Particles", J Chem.Phys.22 (1954) 683-688 https://doi.org/10.1063/1.1740149
  7. Koichi Takahashi and Shoji Taniguchi, ISIJ International, Vol. 43 (2003), No. 6, pp. 820-827 https://doi.org/10.2355/isijinternational.43.820