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Lookup NU author(s): Dr Brian Ray, Professor Ian Metcalfe
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).
Additive manufacturing, likewise known as 3-dimensional (3D) printing and rapid prototyping, has the ability to create almost any geometrically complex shape or feature in a range of materials across different scales. It has found its applications in various areas, such as medicine (bioprinting), art, manufacturing and engineering. On the other hand, its use in separation membrane engineering is relatively new. The use of additive manufacturing techniques could provide more control towards the design of separation membrane systems and offers novel membrane preparation techniques that are able to produce membranes of different shapes, types and designs which cannot be made using conventional techniques such as phase inversion or sintering. Here we provide key background information on 3D printing technologies and applications in membrane engineering; a discussion of the potential and limitations of current 3D printing technologies for membrane engineering and future aspects of the technology. Due to the potential benefits of 3D printing in membrane manufacturing, in particular the unprecedented control over membrane architecture the technique could allow, the use of 3D printing in membrane systems should see significant growth in the near future.
Author(s): Low Z-X, Chua YT, Ray B, Mattia D, Metcalfe I, Patterson DA
Publication type: Article
Publication status: Published
Journal: Journal of Membrane Science
Year: 2017
Volume: 523
Pages: 596-613
Print publication date: 01/02/2017
Online publication date: 08/10/2016
Acceptance date: 03/10/2016
Date deposited: 04/10/2016
ISSN (print): 0376-7388
ISSN (electronic): 1873-3123
Publisher: Elsevier BV
URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.memsci.2016.10.006
DOI: 10.1016/j.memsci.2016.10.006
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