3D Printing and Blue Sustainability: Taking Advantage of Process-Induced Defects for the Metallic Ion Removal from Water

Abstract

Additive manufacturing (AM), commonly known as 3D printing, allows for the manufacturing of complex systems that are not possible using traditional manufacturing methods. Nevertheless, some disadvantages are attributed to AM technologies. One of the most often referred to is the defects of the produced components, particularly the porosity. One approach to solving this problem is to consider it as a non-problem, i.e., taking advantage of the defects. Commercially, LAY-FOMM®60 polymer was successfully used in AM through a material extrusion process. This filament is a blend of two polymers, one of them soluble in water, allowing, after its removal from the printed components, the increase in porosity. The defects produced were exploited to evaluate the metallic ion removal capacity of manufactured components using non-potable tap water. Two experimental setups, continuous and ultrasound-assisted methods, were compared, concerning their water cleaning capacity. Results revealed that continuous setup presented the highest metallic ion removal capacity (>80%) for the following three studied metallic ions: iron, copper, and zinc. High water swelling capacity (~80%) and the increase in porosity of 3D-printed parts played a significant role in the ion sorption capacity. The developed strategy could be considered a custom and affordable alternative to designing complex filtration/separation systems for environmental and wastewater treatment applications.