| Abstract [eng] |
The Master‘s degree graduation project researches application of the electrospinning method for production of biopolymer (polycaprolactone) fibre and adaptation of the produced fibre to diclofenac absorption from water. Currently concerns regarding inputs of drugs into water and their impact on various organisms are continuously increasing. Even small concentrations of drugs in water may cause significant harm to humans and aquatic organisms. Application of various fibres is not a recent innovation in the field of sorption of drugs from water. Mostly, sorbents produced from natural fibres were used. However, seeking to improve sorption efficiency, it was started to look for synthetic alternatives. Fibres produced by electrospinning may be an interesting alternative. Their surface area and porosity are significantly higher in comparison to the sorbents used until now. If biodegradable polymers are used for spinning, the issues related to waste emissions may be avoided. Proper modification of the surface of fibres enables their application to elimination of drugs from water. The research project describes selection of optimal conditions for the solvent electrospinning method, seeking to produce a uniform polycaprolactone fibre with continuous filaments. Effects of altered parameters on the width of fibre filaments were observed. The morphology of fibres was researched by analysing samples using an optic microscope. For the sorption analysis fibres of the most uniform structure with the minimum and maximum width were selected. Sample fibres weighing 20 to 50 mg were ozonized for 10 to 90 minutes. Sample fibres with modified surface were mixed with diclofenac of various concentrations for 5 to 90 minutes. The obtained results were compared by performing an analogous absorption research using activated carbon. Light absorption at a wave length of 290 nm was measured using a spectrophotometer. The obtained data were used for calculations of absorption ability and kinetics of the selected fibre and activated carbon. The comparison of the obtained results showed that the produced fibre absorbs diclofenac from water faster than activated carbon. The obtained results suggest that ozonised polycaprolactone fibres produced by electrospinning may be applied for elimination of diclofenac from water. |
