A local start-up has created membranes which it claims can filter waste water five times faster than traditionally used polymer and ceramic membranes.
With the launch of its 3D-printing plant on Thursday (July 5), the first of its kind in Singapore, Nanyang Technological University spin-off company Nano Sun will be able to print 600 sq m worth of these membranes every day – roughly equivalent to the floor space of six four-room HDB flats.
It will only take NTU’s Associate Professor Darren Sun and his team of 18 four days to produce enough of these membranes to supply an average waste water plant.
While traditional filtration membranes require 13 steps of production, including the mixing of several substances and the application of heat, Nano Sun’s 3D printer can produce the new membranes in one simple step.
The printer is also eco-friendly as toxic waste water generated during the production of traditional membranes can be eliminated.
This article was featured on The Straits Times, 5 July 2018. To find out more, click https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/cutting-edge-membranes-may-be-the-future-of-wastewater-management