Enhancing Ferrofluid-Based Microplastic Removal: Surfactant Coating for Improved Binding Efficiency
Sungrok Jung
Korea International School, Seongnam, South Korea
Publication date: May 31, 2025
Korea International School, Seongnam, South Korea
Publication date: May 31, 2025
DOI: http://doi.org/10.34614/JIYRC2025I07
ABSTRACT
Microplastics pose severe risks to marine and human health, necessitating innovative remediation strategies. This study aimed to enhance the microplastic removal efficiency of ferrofluid by coating it with surfactants to improve binding interactions. Ferrofluid was incubated with either sodium dodecyl sulfate or canola oil and tested in controlled experiments using varying ferrofluid volumes and microplastic concentrations. The results demonstrated that surfactant coating significantly increased binding efficiency, with canola oil-coated ferrofluid achieving the highest removal rate by leaving only 8.88% of microplastics, compared to 16.68% with uncoated ferrofluid. Additionally, a mixed surfactant ratio of 1:2 (SDS:canola oil) further improved removal performance. These findings confirm that surfactant-coated ferrofluid is a promising approach for environmental remediation through enhanced microplastic removal.
Microplastics pose severe risks to marine and human health, necessitating innovative remediation strategies. This study aimed to enhance the microplastic removal efficiency of ferrofluid by coating it with surfactants to improve binding interactions. Ferrofluid was incubated with either sodium dodecyl sulfate or canola oil and tested in controlled experiments using varying ferrofluid volumes and microplastic concentrations. The results demonstrated that surfactant coating significantly increased binding efficiency, with canola oil-coated ferrofluid achieving the highest removal rate by leaving only 8.88% of microplastics, compared to 16.68% with uncoated ferrofluid. Additionally, a mixed surfactant ratio of 1:2 (SDS:canola oil) further improved removal performance. These findings confirm that surfactant-coated ferrofluid is a promising approach for environmental remediation through enhanced microplastic removal.
