The use of graphene nanoplatelet-embedded PA-6 nanofibres to remove turbidity from water

Abstract

The global challenge of providing clean water at an affordable cost has led to the need for the development of low-cost and non-toxic materials for the treatment and recycling of waste water. Nanofibres have emerged as a promising solution due to their superior properties. To this end, composite polyamide-6 (PA-6) nanofibres embedded with graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) were prepared by electrospinning. The study investigated the effect of the ratio of GNPs, which ranged from 0.1 to 1.0 wt.%, on the mechanical properties of nanofibres and the removal of turbidity. The results showed that PA-6 nanofibres with 0.5 wt.% GNP exhibited enhanced mechanical properties, and increasing the GNP ratio led to lower turbidity values. To the best of our knowledge, GNP-embedded PA-6 nanofibres have not been used for turbidity removal before, and these filter materials are promising due to their excellent fibre structure, mechanical strength, and high level of turbidity removal.