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, (NH₄)₂CO₃, or H₂SO₄) 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 H₂SO₄-prepared sample displayed impaired efficiency, primarily due to the formation of an undesirable Al₂ZnO₄ 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.

This work demonstrates the successful preparation of two types of photocatalytically active nanostructured materials from an industrial waste product – Sal Ammonia Skimming – using hydrochloric acid as a leaching medium. The whole production process was developed to prepare valuable ZnO nanomaterials in both fibrous and powdered forms. This involved a sequence of hydrometallurgical processing, needle-less electrospinning, and conventional calcination of recycled environmentally polluting industrial waste. The morphologies and phase composition of the resulting ZnO powder and ZnO fibers were analyzed using SEM, EDS, and XRD analyses. The impact of the morphology of the prepared nanomaterials on the photocatalytic efficiency of the ZnO-based photocatalyst – powder versus ZnO nanofibers – was evaluated through decolorization experiments of the commonly used methylene blue dye in batch mode. Methylene blue was chosen as a model substance for toxic industrial pollutants. A 25 W UVA lamp with an emission maximum at 365 nm was used as a light source. Removal efficiencies were carefully tested and compared for different nanomaterial morphologies and preparation conditions. The most photocatalytically active ZnO-based nanomaterial was the electrospun nanofibrous one calcined at 600 °C for 1 h. This material achieved 100 % removal of a 10 ⁻⁵ mol/L methylene blue dye from the solution within 700 minutes at an increased catalyst-to-dye ratio of 500 mg/50 ml. Based on the obtained results, it can be stated that the prepared materials exhibit high photocatalytic activity under UV light irradiation and have a potential for photocatalytic water remediation applications.