Application of 3D Printing in Separation Science: Manufacturing and Modelling

Dear Colleagues,

Additive manufacturing (AM), also known as three dimensional (3D) printing, is considered a new manufacturing revolution which can enable cutting-edge research in the field of separation science due to its ability to fabricate objects with complicated structures in a single-step process. The constantly improving print resolution and increasing variety of available printing materials ensure the printing of highly customized separation devices and materials with complex structures, which would be extremely challenging to achieve using traditional manufacturing techniques. Devices and materials applied in separation science such as membranes, trays or packings, sorbents, and modules have internal structures, which include cavities, channels, and pores, as well as superficial structures like patterns. These structures play a critical role in achieving high separation performance. However, there is a challenge in designing and fabricating these complicated structures due to the inefficiencies of the available manufacturing processes. They are unable to ensure excellent precision of dimensions of the internal or superficial structures of separation devices and materials, thus limiting the achievement of excellent separation properties. 3D printing could play a key role in separation systems because it can control the fundamental properties of separation devices and materials such as thickness, pore size, roughness, and surface patterns. Moreover, 3D printing can also control architectural variables of separation devices and materials (e.g., shape, arrangement, channels, and pores), which are almost impossible to achieve with conventional fabrication methods. 

This Special Issue focuses on the latest advancements of 3D printing in the fabrication and development of separation devices and materials. Topics include, but are not limited to:

• 3D-printed membrane-based devices and materials
• 3D-printed modules in separation systems
• 3D-printed selective sorbents
• 3D-printed solid-phase extraction preconcentrator 
• 3D-printed flow injection analysis systems
• Modelling and simulation of 3D-printed separation devices

Dr. Saeed Mazinani
Dr. Shushan Yuan
Guest Editors

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• 3D printing
• Additive manufacturing
• Rapid prototyping
• 3D-printed separation devices
• Separations
• Membranes
• Sorbents