Speaker
Description
Electrospinning enables the fabrication of micro- and nanofibrous materials with high surface area and porosity, making them attractive for water treatment and environmental remediation applications. In this study, electrospun polylactic acid (PLA) membranes containing 0, 2, 5, and 10 wt% natural opalized tuff were successfully fabricated and evaluated as eco-friendly adsorbents for heavy metals removal. The incorporation of tuff provided active mineral sites, while the PLA matrix ensured structural stability and biodegradability. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed a uniform fibrous morphology with well-developed porosity (Figure 1, left images). X-ray diffraction and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy confirmed the successful incorporation of tuff without altering the chemical structure of PLA. Energy Dispersive X-Ray (EDX) spectroscopy analysis demonstrated the effective adsorption of Ni2+ (Figure 1, right) and Pb2+ ions from aqueous solutions, indicating the important role of the silicate-rich mineral phase in the metal uptake.
Figure 1. SEM–EDX characterization of electrospun PLA-TUFF-0 and PLA-TUFF-10 membranes after 6 h exposure to Ni2+ solution.
The combination of a renewable polymer and a naturally occurring mineral filler resulted in porous composite membranes with promising adsorption performance.
Keywords: Electrospinning; Polylactic acid (PLA); Opalized tuff; Heavy metals adsorption, Biodegradable composites.