Nanofiber membranes were successfully synthesized from expanded polystyrene (EPS) waste with the addition of poly(vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP) for water microfiltration using the electrospinning method. The EPS-based nanofiber membranes exhibited a smooth morphology and were uniform in size. The concentration of the EPS/PVP solution changed some of the physical parameters of the nanofiber membrane, such as viscosity, conductivity, and surface tension. Greater viscosity and surface tension increase the nanofiber membrane diameter, whereas the addition of PVP results in hydrophilicity. Additionally, increasing the pressure increased the flux value of each variation of the nanofiber membranes. Furthermore, the rejection value was 99.99% for all variations. Finally, the use of EPS waste for nanofiber membranes is also beneficial for decreasing the amount of EPS waste in the environment and is an alternative to the current membranes available in the market for water filtration applications.

Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) is one of the most common fused-filament feedstocks for 3D printing. The rapid growth of the 3D printing industry has resulted in huge demand for ABS filaments; however, it generates a large amount of waste. This study developed a novel method using waste ABS to fabricate electrospun nanofiber membranes (ENMs) for water filtration. Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) was employed to modify the properties of waste ABS, and the effect of PVP addition in the range of 0–5 wt% was investigated. The results showed that adding PVP increased the viscosity and surface tension but decreased the conductivity of the precursor solution. After electrospinning, PVP could reduce the number of beads, increase the porosity and fiber diameter, and improve the wettability of the fabricated fibers. Moreover, the bilayer of ABS ENMs achieved a high flux value between 2951 and 48 041 L m⁻² h⁻¹ and a high rejection rate of 99%. Our study demonstrates a sustainable strategy to convert waste plastics to inexpensive materials for wastewater treatment membranes.

Society must face the challenge of creating high-value products from recycled waste polymers. This research focuses on the synthesis of nanofiber membranes from waste-expanded polystyrene (EPS) using electrospinning. Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) enhance the photocatalytic activity of the fiber membrane. ZnO is a more useful alternative to TiO2 as a form of photocatalyst for degrading contaminants in water. This study systematically investigated the effects of varying amounts of ZnO NPs on fiber membrane nanostructure and photocatalytic activity. Methylene blue was used to measure the photocatalytic efficiency of fiber membranes, as they are commonly used in textile wastewater and exposed to ultraviolet light for 20 h. The results showed that the fiber membrane containing ZnO NPs with a concentration of 1 % effectively degraded methylene blue. HIGHLIGHTS The EPS/ZnO nanofiber produced using electrospinning was characterized using SEM-EDX, FTIR, and Raman spectroscopy UV-Vis spectrophotometer testing proves that the EPS/ZnO nanofiber has photocatalytic activity capabilities that can remove organic contaminants The EPS/ZnO 1 % shows the highest efficiency; 45 % of methylene blue was degraded within 20 h of irradiation GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT