In recent years, microplastics have garnered significant attention due to their detection in tap and bottled water, as well as in rivers, lakes, and oceans. Conventional filtering technologies for water treatment have difficulty effectively filtering out microplastics of various sizes and shapes and are prone to clogging. Additionally, recovering small particles requires extremely fine filter meshes, which increases pressure and drastically reduces filter efficiency. Furthermore, they are not effective in open spaces such as lakes, rivers, or oceans, where microplastic pollution is increasing.
Dr. Seong Jin Kim and Myoung-Woon Moon of the Center for Extreme Materials Research at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) have developed a new level of microplastic removal technology, offering a promising solution to this growing problem. They have developed a floating drone equipped with hydrophilic tooth structures that leverage surface tension to skim microplastics.
The core of the team’s approach is the hydrophilic ratchet structure. This design forms a water bridge that forms between the teeth due to its affinity for water, which maximizes the surface tension of the water to adhere the microplastics to the teeth. This approach enables the removal of microplastics ranging in size from 1 micrometer (μm) to 4 millimeters, addressing the challenges traditional filtering technologies face with size and shape variability. It also ensures reliable operation without the risk of clogging.
The technology has achieved over 80% recovery efficiency for various types of microplastics, including expanded polystyrene, polypropylene, and polyethylene. In particular, the hydrophilic ratchet structure of the floating drone can be used to remove microplastics in real-time in large bodies of water such as oceans, lakes, and rivers. The drone can move autonomously and purify water quality like a household robot vacuum cleaner, showing its versatility beyond the limitations of existing fixed systems
“This technology can be applied not only to floating drones, but also to stationary systems such as water treatment filters in aquaculture farms,” said Dr. Moon. “It can also be expanded into a home water treatment filter device that individuals can use in their daily lives.”
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KIST was established in 1966 as the first government-funded research institute in Korea. KIST now strives to solve national and social challenges and secure growth engines through leading and innovative research. For more information, please visit KIST’s website at https://eng.kist.re.kr/
This research was supported by the Ministry of Science and ICT (Minister Yoo Sang-im) under the KIST Institutional Program and the Korea International Maritime Police Service Project (KIMST-20210584). The results of this research were published in the latest issue of the international journal “Advanced science” (IF 14.3, JCR field 8.2%).
