Low-Cost Passive Sampling Device with Integrated Porous Membrane Produced Using Multimaterial 3D Printing

Abstract

Multimaterial 3D printing facilitates the rapid production of complex devices with integrated materials of varying properties and functionality. Herein, multimaterial fused deposition modeling (MM-FDM) 3D printing was applied to the fabrication of low-cost passive sampler devices with integrated porous membranes. Using MM-FDM 3D printing, the device body was produced using black polylactic acid, with Poro-Lay Lay-Felt filament used for the printing of the integrated porous membranes (rubber-elastomeric polymer, porous after removal of a water-soluble poly(vinyl alcohol) component). The resulting device consisted of two interlocking circular frames, each containing the integrated membrane, which could be efficiently sealed together without the need for additional O-rings, and prevented loss of enclosed microparticulate sorbent. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis of the purified composite filament confirmed the porous properties of the material, an average pore size of ∼30 nm. The printed passive samplers with various membrane thicknesses, including 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 mm, were evaluated for their ability to facilitate the extraction of atrazine as the model solute onto the internal sorbent, under standard conditions. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry was used to determine the uptake of atrazine by the device from standard water samples and also to evaluate any chemical leaching from the printed materials. The sampler with 0.5 mm thick membrane showed the best performance with 87% depletion and a sampling rate of 0.19 Ld ( n = 3, % RSD = 0.59). The results obtained using these printed sampling devices with integrated membranes were in close agreement to devices fitted with a standard poly(ether sulfone) membrane.

3D Printing in analytical sample preparation

“…Relying on the porous property of the printing material, separation membranes can be fabricated directly via different 3D printing techniques. Breadmore's group utilized an FDM 3D printer for direct separation membrane fabrication [32,36–38]. A microfluidic device with a printed integrated membrane was fabricated using a multi‐material FDM printer for direct colorimetric analysis of nitrate in the soil as shown in Figure 3.…”

“…The pore size of the membrane was examined to be 12 nm, and it was shown to filter out big particles from the soil and extract nitrate ions, which facilitated the direct soil analysis without sample pretreatment [32]. Another similar passive sampling device with an integrated membrane was also fabricated for extraction of atrazine from water prior to GC–MS analysis [36].…”

3D Printing—Encompassing the Facets of Dentistry

“…Fused deposition modeling (FDM) printers (Figure 3C ) are the most common to begin with in a medical or dental set-up owing to its wide availability, moderately reliable printing quality, ease of installation, and use and economic affordability (Huang et al, 2017 ). It is competent with a number of materials like acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) and polylactic acid (PLA) (Kalsoom et al, 2018 ). The spooled material is supplied into a hot nozzle, melting and extruding it in the X-Y dimensions, one layer at a time, before the nozzle is elevated or the print bed drops down (Figure 3C ).…”

“…It is the printer of choice for the in house production of easily accessible anatomical models, but for complex anatomies, the higher printing time, limited color selection, moderate printing resolution and complete removal of the support material are technical limitations (Huang et al, 2017 ). Both SLS and SLA (Figures 3D,E ) use laser to scan and build the object layer-by-layer, while SLS uses powder-based material for printing the object, SLA is based on a liquid resin material (Mazzoli, 2013 ; Kalsoom et al, 2018 ). It overcomes the printing resolution and support material limitations of the FDM, however, object shrinkage is a matter of concern.…”

The impact of 3D-printed LAY-FOMM 40 and LAY-FOMM 60 on L929 cells and human oral fibroblasts

“…This is an emerging platform for the production of low-cost novel 3D-printed sorbents using an FDM printer. These materials are advantageous over solid-phase extraction and liquid-liquid extraction in terms of accuracy due to reproducibility and less carry-over, costs, and time consumption [12,13]. Similar elastomer PVA-based 3D-printed materials like Poro-Lay find application in passive sampling devices.…”