3D-Printed Microhydrocyclone for Oil/Water Separation

Oil contained in domestic and industrial wastewater or marine spilled oil gives rise to severe environmental pollution issues such as water pollution and ecosystem destruction. The membrane filtration method as one of representative oil/water separation strategies has technological challenges such as membrane fouling and low separation rate. In this work, we devise a 3D-printed microhydrocyclone for oil/water separation by utilizing a digital lighting processing-based 3D printer. We demonstrate that the 3D-printed microhydrocyclone can effectively separate oil and water phases from oil-in-water emulsion.