DEVELOPMENT AND FUNCTIONALIZATION OF RECYCLED POLYSTYRENE FIBERS FOR PRODUCTION OF FILTER MEDIA FOR CONTAMINANT REMOVAL.

• Grant number: 24/21696-8
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: May 01, 2025
• End date: April 30, 2028
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Materials and Metallurgical Engineering - Nonmetallic Materials
• Principal Investigator: Daniel Souza Corrêa
• Grantee: Felipe de Aquino Lima
• Host Institution: Embrapa Instrumentação Agropecuária. Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária (EMBRAPA). Ministério da Agricultura, Pecuária e Abastecimento (Brasil). São Carlos , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Environmental pollution from plastic waste is a global problem that has been increasing with population, urban and industrial growth. Improper disposal generates several problems, such as accumulation in landfills and oceans. Among plastics, polystyrene, known as Styrofoam, has become a significant environmental problem due to its low recyclability. This project proposes the recycling of Styrofoam to be used in the manufacture of polymeric micro/nanofibers through electrospinning, solution blow spinning and 3D printing techniques, which will be used as filter membranes to remove contaminants from air and water. The innovation of this study lies in the combination of these fiber production techniques with 3D printing from recycled Styrofoam, enabling the creation of customized structures for filtration membranes, optimizing their performance for various applications. Furthermore, the fibers produced will be functionalized through electrophilic substitution reactions for the addition of chlorinated and iodinated groups with subsequent substitution with graphene, providing significant improvements in their properties and increasing the capacity to adsorb contaminants. The resulting polymeric membranes will be tested under different conditions, and it is expected to optimize the fiber production conditions in order to obtain high filtration efficiencies for air and water treatment. The chemical reactions will be analyzed and evaluated on the surface of the fibers, verifying the degree of halogenation and the morphological effects on the fibers. This study highlights the use of sustainable technologies for the recycling of Styrofoam, transforming plastic waste into highly functional materials and adding value to the development of new solutions for global environmental challenges.