Polímeros: Ciência e Tecnologia
https://www.revistapolimeros.org.br/article/doi/10.1590/0104-1428.20250076
Polímeros: Ciência e Tecnologia
Original Article

From filaments to membranes: additive manufacturing of Ecovio® for oil–water separation

Iago Rodrigues de Abreu; Fábio Delano Penha Marques Torres; Arthur Antônio Sousa Sampaio; Rudy Folkersma; Laura Hecker de Carvalho; Lucas Rafael Carneiro da Silva; Tatianny Soares Alves; Renata Barbosa

http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/0104-1428.20250076 Polímeros: Ciência e Tecnologia, vol.36, n2, e20260014, 2026
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Abstract

This study explored Ecovio®-based filaments and 3D-printed membranes functionalized with zinc oxide (ZnO), biocide (BCD), and carnauba wax (CW) for gravity-driven oil–water separation. Filaments and membranes were produced via fused filament fabrication in grid and triangular geometries and characterized through melt flow index, water absorption, optical microscopy, contact angle, and separation performance. ZnO increased melt flow and long-term water absorption, whereas CW reduced water absorption and increased surface hydrophobicity. Optical microscopy revealed composition-dependent pore architectures ranging from ≈ 355 to 668 µm, directly affecting permeation behavior. Membranes delivered high permeation fluxes, exceeding 1.10 × 107 L·m−2·h−1 under gravity-driven operation. The integrated results showed that tailored filler combinations and infill geometries enable tunable hydrophilicity, porosity, and flux, establishing Ecovio® composites as a sustainable and viable platform for additive manufacturing of oil–water separation membranes.

 

 

Keywords

3D printing, biodegradable polymers, filtration membranes

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