Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Jurong West, Singapore, reported this past month that a young startup company at NTU successfully used 3D printing technology to develop a multi-function wastewater filtration membrane. The invention could mean enormous cost savings for wastewater treatment in the paper and packaging industries.

 

The membrane lasts twice as long as conventional membranes, is highly resistant to breakage, and has anti-bacterial as well as anti-biofouling properties, according to NTU. The inventors also claim an unprecedented flow rate of at least 10 times faster than current water filtration.

Developed by a new startup group, Nano Sun, the multifunction membrane uses patented titanium dioxide nanotechnology. Titanium dioxide nanoparticles are proven to kill bacteria and help to break down organic compounds in wastewater with the help of sunlight or UV rays.

 

"With more of the world’s population moving into urban cities and generating more wastewater, there is a real need for cost-effective technology. Traditional polymer-based water filtration membranes are faced with issues such as fouling and high breakage, while the developing countries with high industrial output are generating wastewater that is increasingly harder to treat," says Professor Darren Sun, who invented the technology. "What the world needs is a technology that can turn large volumes of polluted or untreated water into drinking water quickly, safely and at a fraction of the cost."

 

With the new Nano Sun membranes, biofouling is greatly reduced as organic material and bacteria are killed and destroyed when they come into contact with the membranes. Any organic material that does not decompose can also be quickly burned by putting the membrane in an oven heated to 700° C, since it is able to withstand high heat unlike traditional polymer membranes.

 

In China, Nano Sun is working with an industrial paper mill in Guangzhou to optimize its wastewater treatment process, which will lead to an estimated savings of SGD 3 million during the next five years.