Regensburg 2025 – wissenschaftliches Programm
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CPP: Fachverband Chemische Physik und Polymerphysik
CPP 35: Microswimmers and Microfluidics (joint session DY/BP/CPP)
CPP 35.9: Vortrag
Donnerstag, 20. März 2025, 17:30–17:45, H37
Blue Water: A passive, reusable microfiltration device for water purification — •Tim R. Baumann, Ioannis Gkekas, Martina Viefhues, and Dario Anselmetti — Experimental Biophysics, Bielefeld University
Water is the most vital resource for life on Earth. Due to pollution of freshwater and oceans, this valuable resource has become globally endangered. The effects of microplastic pollution are widely discussed in scientific, political, and socioeconomic contexts. Despite regulations on single-use plastics and microplastic output, efforts should also focus on reintegrating microplastics to achieve a sustainable circular economy. Furthermore, microplastic-sized particles can migrate through organic tissue and can therefore be classified as contaminants of emerging concern. However, filtering plastics of this size is a challenging task.
Thus, this work examines and extends the findings of Divi et al. regarding the suspension feeding mechanisms of various ray species. We studied the filtration performance and efficiency for different geometric ratios of channel widths in simulations and laboratory environments. First, we have the main inner channel connected to the pressure inlet. From this, two rows of tilted lamellae structures branch off laterally to the outer secondary channels.
By applying sufficiently high pressure (> 6 · 105 Pa) to the inlet and achieving flow and particle velocities of > 35 m/s, we can purify 82 % of half of the initial fluid. To prevent rupturing of our microfluidic chip under this pressure, we further investigated using glass fiber reinforced PDMS and lowering the operating pressure.
Keywords: microfluidics; microplastic; water purification; filtration