Advanced Membrane Synthesis Methods: Exploration of 3D Printed Membranes for Oil/Water Separation and Development of Novel Polymers for Organic Solvent Nanofiltration

Promovendus/a: Shushan Yuan

Promotor(en): Prof. dr. ir. Bart Van der Bruggen, Prof. dr. ir. Peter Van Puyvelde

This project investigates the feasibility of manufacturing polymeric microfiltration membranes through selective laser sintering (SLS). This process is different from traditional solvent casting methods, which have limited control over the membrane structure. The SLS technique also eliminates the usage of solvent, which lowers the production cost and avoids environmental issues. In this project, different processing parameters including laser power, hatch spacing and laser scan count, and polymer powder property will be investigated to optimize the membrane performance. In addtion, development of new polymers for organic solvent nanofiltraiton is also studied. PASS and Kevlar organic solvent nanofiltration membranes were finanlly prepared.