Processo de oxidação eletrolítica a plasma (PEO) como alternativa para remediação de microplásticos
Abstract
The world broke its plastics production record in 2021. In this topic, microplastics
(PM) have recently become one of the top four global environmental problems due to their
abundance in terrestrial environments and aquatic and toxic potential for nature. Because it is
omnipresent, the degradation and remediation of this material is a concern that has been
taking place in the scientific community in the development of chemical techniques, in
particular, the Advanced Oxidative Processes (AOPs). In the present work, the plasma
electrolytic oxidation (PEO) process was used in an attempt to remediate polypropylene (PP)
and blue ink (PT) microplastics. Aluminum electrodes (98,7%) immersed in an electrolytic
solution of 0.1 mol/L Sodium Silicate containing approximately 0.15 g of microplastics were
used. The process occurred under constant stirring on a magnetic stirrer and a current density
set at 20 mA/cm2
for 90 minutes. Micrographs and compositional analysis data were used
through EDS, obtained by the Scanning Electron Microscope and images from the Optical
Microscope to analyze the change in the surface of the microplastics and electrodes. An
analysis of the electrolytes before and after the PEO process was also performed using
Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) to identify whether particles or other
substances were moved from the PM to the electrolytic medium. The results suggested
alterations in the surface of the microplastics. However, from the view of the results, it is not
possible to affirm that the PEO process caused any alteration or if these are interferences only
of the physical parameters (temperature, agitation, filtration). However, when analyzing the
surface of the oxide formed on the electrodes, inorganic carbon was found, suggesting that
this was formed from the treatments carried out in contact with the PP and PT samples.
Despite the interaction between PM and electrode, it was not possible to identify, from the
FTIR analysis curves, significant changes in the electrolyte by the PEO process with the
samples.
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