RT journal article
T1 Scanning Electron Microscope Analysis of Polypropylene Filter Cartridges Used in Drinking Water Purification Systems
A1 Zaharia, A.
A1 Nedeff, V.
A1 López Ramírez, Juan Antonio
A1 Moșneguțu, E.
A1 Bârsan, N.
A1 Lehadus-Panaite, M.
A1 Krzysztof, J.
A1 Tomozei, C.
A2 Tecnologías del Medio Ambiente
K1 Filter cartridge
K1 Foulants
K1 Polypropylene
K1 Scanning electron microscope
AB In recent years, more and more emphasis has been placed on the use of home filtrationsystems as a coarse pre-filtration step. The PP (polypropylene) filter cartridge is one of the mostcommon of these systems, with the role of retaining solid suspensions from drinking water. However,few studies have focused on the fouling analysis of PP cartridges using EDS (Energy-Dispersive X-raySpectroscopy) analysis methods. Through this study, a clear and in-depth view of the structures andmorphology of PP filter cartridges as well as their impurity retention capacities and their impact isprovided with the help of an SEM (Scanning Electron Microscope) analyzer. To achieve these goals, itwas necessary to establish a specialized preparation methodology for this type of material in order toanalyze it using the SEM and, at the same time, determine the optimal setting of the SEM parameters(improved resolution, reduced acceleration voltage, reduced data acquisition time, etc.) dependingon the analysis performed for the visualization and detailed characterization of surfaces. Based onthe SEM-EDS analysis and characterization, an uneven distribution of impurities on the surface of thePP fibers was identified. The number of impurities varied according to the depth of the cartridge dueto the sieving effect that occurred owing to the varied sizes and shapes of the impurities, but also thestructural differences and pore sizes of the filter material. So, the most common chemical elementsidentified were Al, Si, Na, Cl, Ca, Fe, and S, having a predominantly higher intensity from the insideto the outside of the PP filter cartridge due to pressure forces and the uneven flow of filtered water.
PB Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI)
SN 2073-4441
YR 2024
FD 2024
LK http://hdl.handle.net/10498/32764
UL http://hdl.handle.net/10498/32764
LA eng
DS Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de Cádiz
RD 06-nov-2026