Solvent based Slurry Stereolithography 3D printed hydrophilic ceramic membrane for ultrafiltration application

Abstract The proposed work investigates a novel 3D printing technique called as Solvent based Slurry Stereolithography (3S) to fabricate membranes for filtration application. 3S process is an indirect fabrication method where the green parts are 3D printed first and densified later by sintering process. In this paper, membranes using alumina material were fabricated with a controlled thickness between 200 and 250 μm and surface roughness ranges between 0.17 and 0.18 μm. The factors that affected the entire fabrication process such as material synthesis, printing parameters, and the sintering temperature cycle are presented through empirical data. The material synthesis includes powder selection based on the morphology and optimization of the raw material. Based on the particle structure and its concentration, different slurry compositions were prepared, and green parts were 3D printed. The printed samples are characterized for thickness, roughness, porosity, and pore size followed with a brief discussion regarding filtration application.