Various waste polystyrene for useful membrane fabrication: Comparative experimental study

Plastic waste recycling is drawing great attention to prevent the harmful effects resulting from the accumulation of plastic waste, especially as an integrated waste-to-product process. This study introduced a comparative study of two polystyrene (PS) wastes for polymeric membrane fabrication. Two types of polystyrene wastes, transparent and white-coloured, used for yoghurt packaging, were utilized. The commercial PS membrane was also fabricated for comparison. Polystyrene membranes were prepared by a non-solvent induced phase separation (NIPS) method. The prepared membranes were characterized by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscope (SEM), measurements of contact angle (CA), porosity, and pore size distribution. According to the results, the prepared membranes showed an asymmetric structure with a blocked skin layer. Also, the prepared membrane surfaces were partially hydrophilic. Increasing polymer concentration (from 10 to 18 wt.%) enhanced the structural homogeneity of the membrane by obtaining smaller pores. On the other hand, the membranes' porosity decreased with the rise in the polymer concentration. Measurements highlighted the successful fabrication of similar membrane characteristics using two types of PS wastes, making them vivid candidates for water desalination and gas separation applications.