PROSPECTS, OPPORTUNITIES, AND CHALLENGES OF USING 3D-PRINTING TO PRODUCE MEMBRANE ELEMENTS

Abstract

3D printing, also known as additive manufacturing, allows the creation of various products, including membrane elements made of different materials, namely polymers, metals, ceramics, etc., ensuring the production of elements with complex and desired geometries. This article proposes to consider the prospects and possibilities of additive technologies for the commercial production of ceramic membranes and membrane modules. The purpose of this work is to present the prospects, opportunities, and challenges of using 3D printing, in particular digital light processing (DLP) and selective laser sintering (SLS), to obtain ceramic membranes and membrane modules. A comparison of traditional methods of ceramic membrane production with additive technologies was carried out and shows that 3D printing is a promising area of development. It is already changing the field of membrane technologies. Analysis of the literature shows that additive technologies allow the creation of more efficient, customized, and multifunctional membranes, which is particularly relevant for high-tech industries. It has been shown that the quality of ceramic membranes obtained by DLP or SLS printing depends on the choice of ceramic material, the optimal settings of the slicer (software for preparing the model for printing), its calibration, and control of printing parameters such as temperature, printing speed, and others. In addition, the quality of printed parts is influenced by model preparation, the specifics of a particular printing technology, resolution, and much more. Despite the existing problems and challenges, both technologies are moving towards mass production and application: 3D printing will allow the production of ceramic membranes for micro-, ultra- and nanofiltration with optimized internal structures, which will increase filtration efficiency and reduce fouling.