Additive manufacturing (3D printing) is a transformative approach to industrial production that uses computer aided design (CAD) software to direct hardware to deposit material in precise geometric shapes to yield lighter, more complex, and low-cost designs with increased reproducibility. One area where 3D printing can improve current methods is packed bed columns. Packed bed columns are used in many chemistry processes such as separations, distillation, catalysis, and water treatment. Typically, columns are slurry packed with a granular material and have bed inhomogeneity, low reproducibility, and do not provide optimal mixing and contact between the solid phase and mobile phase due to channeling and path preference by the mobile phase. By 3D printing columns with specific internal geometries and channels, the reproducibility and homogeneity can be improved. In this research, multiple columns were designed using Fusion 360 with various internal geometries to change the flow path and enable conditions optimal for the removal of metals and dyes in water samples with packed carbon. In this work, flow and batch adsorption experiments were compared to determine if the internal printed geometries improved dye adsorption.

Using additive manufacturing to increase reproducibility in a packed bed column

ACS Spring 2022

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.