Title
Conventional polymers and their more sustainable alternatives for air and water purification
Code
SP2026/080
Summary
The project focuses on gaining a deeper understanding of the most common polymers, both conventional and greener ones, namely polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) and cellulose acetate, in air and water decontamination applications. PVDF is one of the most widely used polymers in membrane separation, but the disposal of used PVDF membranes is still the subject of research. PVDF polymer is inherently resistant due to the presence of a very strong covalent C-F bond, which gives this polymer great mechanical stability but also low degradability. For the above reasons, PVDF was selected as the model material for the first topic of this project proposal, which will focus on the degradation of PVDF in the form of a nanofiber fabric that could be used for the production of respirators. Given the growing number of detected released fragments of synthetic polymers (i.e., micro- and nanoplastics) in the environment, it is necessary to investigate the rate of its degradation. Therefore, it was selected as the material for one of the two topics of the project proposal, which will focus in particular on its degradation after the use of FFP2 respirators, in which PVDF serves in the form of a nanofiber layer for capturing particles at the level of tens to hundreds of nm. In the second topic of the application sphere, the project will focus on a more sustainable alternative, namely cellulose acetate and its use in its porous and nanofiber form for water purification and separation of micropollutants using its physicochemical modification. In the second topic of the application sphere, the project will focus on a more sustainable alternative, namely cellulose acetate and its use in its porous and nanofiber form for water purification and separation of micropollutants using its physicochemical modification. The suitability of materials will be evaluated in terms of functionality and sustainability with regard to the entire life cycle of a potential product, i.e., in individual steps from preparation through application to final degradation. Both topics within the project have common indicators: the preparation and characterization of polymer membranes, but their application differs with regard to the physicochemical properties of the selected polymers.
Start year
2026
End year
2026
Provider
Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports
Category
SGS
Type
Specifický výzkum VŠB-TUO
Solver