A new potential method to clean wastewater by textiles, cosmetics or other industries could remove certain dyes from water, according to researchers at the North Carolina State University.
What: A synthetic polymer can remove certain dyes from water, and the polymer can then be recovered and reused.
- The study In the study ‘Polycarbodiimide for Textile Dye Removal from Contaminated Water’, published online in ACS Applied Polymer Materials, the researchers tested the synthetic polymer called polycarbodiimide’s ability to clean wastewater first by dissolving it in a solvent, and then mixing it with water contaminated with dyes.
- They tested the polymer solution against a series of 20 anionic dyes, also called acid dyes, which are used in the textile industry. “We found that the polymer solution can remove dyes from contaminated water, and we can recover the polymer and use it to remove dye from contaminated water again,” said Januka Budhathoki-Uprety, lead author of a paper on the work and an assistant professor of textile engineering, chemistry and science at NC State.
- The polymer solution removed all but four of the 20 acid dyes they tested. In addition, they found it was easy to recover the polymer within minutes. They found characteristics of the dyes – related to their molecular structures – that contributed to whether the polymer worked or not.
- Future studies Researchers are planning to develop a library of polymers that would have the potential to work with more types of dyes. In addition, they want to develop a more practical mechanism for using polycarbodiimide to clean wastewater.
- “We are working to develop materials that can do the same work without having to use the polymer in the solution phase,” Budhathoki-Uprety said. “If you have dye spill, you don’t want to have to use a flammable solution – you want a solid material that is easier to handle.”
- The co-authors of the study included Meghan Lord, graduate student in Fiber and Polymer Science Program, and Graham Neve and Mike Keating, undergraduate students in the Textile Engineering, Chemistry and Science Department at NC State. The study was funded by the Textile Engineering, Chemistry and Science Department at NC State. Individual researchers were also supported by the Office of Undergraduate Research Federal Work Study Research Assistant Program at NC State.
What They Said:
Dyes are used everywhere, including in the textile industry, as well as in pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, paper, leather and even in medicines. If these contaminants aren’t properly removed from wastewater after dyeing and finishing, they can be a significant source of environmental pollution and pose risks for human health.
— Januka Budhathoki-Uprety
Lead Author & Assistant Professor of textile engineering, chemistry and science
North Carolina State University
