From Waste to Value: Recycling Industrial Waste into Functional ZnO Nanofibers

Erika Mudra (), Ivan Shepa, Kateryna Nemesh, Jana Piroskova, Jakub Klimko, Klaudia Kundrakova, Dusan Orac, Alexandra Kovalcikova, Maksym Lisnichuk, Frantisek Kromka and Ondrej Petrus
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Erika Mudra: Institute of Materials Research, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Watsonova 47, 040 01 Kosice, Slovakia
Ivan Shepa: Institute of Materials Research, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Watsonova 47, 040 01 Kosice, Slovakia
Kateryna Nemesh: Institute of Materials Research, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Watsonova 47, 040 01 Kosice, Slovakia
Jana Piroskova: Faculty of Materials, Metallurgy and Recycling, Technical University of Kosice, Letna 9, 040 01 Kosice, Slovakia
Jakub Klimko: Faculty of Materials, Metallurgy and Recycling, Technical University of Kosice, Letna 9, 040 01 Kosice, Slovakia
Klaudia Kundrakova: Faculty of Materials, Metallurgy and Recycling, Technical University of Kosice, Letna 9, 040 01 Kosice, Slovakia
Dusan Orac: Faculty of Materials, Metallurgy and Recycling, Technical University of Kosice, Letna 9, 040 01 Kosice, Slovakia
Alexandra Kovalcikova: Institute of Materials Research, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Watsonova 47, 040 01 Kosice, Slovakia
Maksym Lisnichuk: Institute of Materials Research, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Watsonova 47, 040 01 Kosice, Slovakia
Frantisek Kromka: Institute of Materials Research, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Watsonova 47, 040 01 Kosice, Slovakia
Ondrej Petrus: Institute of Materials Research, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Watsonova 47, 040 01 Kosice, Slovakia

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 18, 1-19

Abstract: This study details the sustainable synthesis and characterization of electrospun zinc oxide nanofibers, uniquely derived from industrial waste streams. Our approach leverages diverse industrial byproducts—specifically sal ammoniac skimming from hot-dip galvanizing, electric arc furnace dust, and galvanization flue dust—as sustainable raw materials. Following hydrometallurgical treatment with various leaching agents (HCl, (NH 4 ) 2 CO 3 , or H 2 SO 4 ) to obtain zinc-rich leachates, electrospinning solutions were formulated. The resulting fibers were subsequently calcined, yielding three distinct ZnO-based materials. Comprehensive characterization by XRD, SEM-EDX, and TEM revealed that the choice of leaching strategy significantly influenced the resultant fibers’ morphology and chemical composition. To demonstrate the potential applicability of these waste-derived materials, their photocatalytic activity was assessed through the degradation of methylene blue dye under UVA irradiation. ZnO fibers derived from HCl leaching exhibited remarkable photodegradation capabilities, achieving nearly complete dye removal within 690 min at optimal catalyst-to-dye ratios. Conversely, the H 2 SO 4 -prepared sample displayed impaired efficiency, primarily due to the formation of an undesirable Al 2 ZnO 4 phase stemming from high aluminum content in the input waste, a critical consideration for waste-to-product strategies. The results showed that the cost-effective ZnO fibers obtained by electrospinning from industrial waste products have potential for applications in photocatalytic water treatment.

Keywords: ZnO fibers; recycling waste; electrospinning; photocatalytic activity (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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