Note to anyone doing research: watch your search terms. Upon searching for an electrostatic screen, I came across all kinds of things, from air filters to anti-static mats. Unfortunately, none of the materials I came across are easily adaptable to my project. This roadblock simply steered my project idea in another direction. Instead of relying on static electricity, also known as the triboelectric effect, I decided to try using piezoelectricity for the filter. I hope to use water pressure to create a net charge to attract the microplastics from the water. I have found a material that I would like to make the membrane itself from, which is alginate. This material is derived from seaweed, and used in a variety of biomedical applications, and is used to make dental molds. A bit more research should lead me to the best powder to mix in, whether aluminum, titanium, or something I haven't considered yet. The charge does not need to be much, just enough to capture any fibers (hopefully).
Lee, Kuen Yong and David J. Mooney. (2012) Alginate: properties and biomedical applications. Progress in Polymer Science, 37(1), 106-126. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.progpolymsci.2011.06.003
Nandini,V. Vidyashree, K. Vijay Venkatesh and K. Chandrasekharan Nair. (2008) Alginate impressions: A practical perspective. Journal of Conservative Dentistry : JCD, 11(1), 37–41. http://doi.org/10.4103/0972-0707.43416
The TriboElectric Series. (n.d.) Retrieved from https://www.alphalabinc.com/content/tribo-electric-series/
Woodford, Chris. (2017) Piezoelectricity. Retrieved from http://www.explainthatstuff.com/piezoelectricity.html
Excellent job Michelle! You are teaching ME things--which is what an IRP should do--teach others about science! Great job!
ReplyDeleteA question ...where do we purchase this material and how much does it cost?
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