Nano Sun launches water treatment membrane facility with 3D printed parts

SINGAPORE, JULY 24, 2018 -- Nano Sun, a water technology start-up founded by a scientist from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore), has launched a facility that relies on three-dimensional (3D) printing to manufacture water treatmentmembranes.

The new 3D printing plant is the culmination of a two-decade effort by its co-founder, Associate Professor Darren Sun of NTU Singapore, to develop and deploy his research innovations in the fields of materials science, water chemistry and advanced manufacturing. Since 2015, the company has designed, commissioned and delivered over 15 water treatment systems and plants to various governments and companies in Singapore, China, Philippines and Indonesia.

Unlike conventional membrane-manufacturing processes that use acids to make polymers porous, Nano Sun 3D prints millions of nanofibers layered on top of each other, then compresses them into a thin membrane. This results in a filter that has a faster water flow rate than conventional membranes despite having a similar pollutant rejection rate. Read more at Asian Scientist Magazine