3D printing technologies in water Treatment: Applications, Challenges, and emerging trends

Ensuring clean and safe water is crucial for public health and the preservation of natural ecosystems, emphasizing the need for advanced treatment technologies. Among emerging innovations, 3D printing technology has become increasingly significant in water treatment applications due to its ability to enhance fluid dynamics, reaction efficiency, and material performance. The integration of 3D printing with water treatment processes offers unprecedented design flexibility, rapid prototyping capabilities, and customization potential across various applications. This review aims to examine the recent advancements in 3D printing applications for several aspects of water treatment, including membranes, equipment components, catalysts, biofilm carriers, microfluidic devices, and reactors. While 3D printing offers significant benefits such as rapid prototyping and material efficiency, challenges persist in material limitations, resolution, scalability, and long-term stability of printed components. Thus, we discuss these obstacles and their potential solutions, including the development of new materials and optimizing catalyst formulations. Furthermore, we examine emerging trends such as the integration of 3D printing with complementary technologies and the potential of 4D printing in creating adaptive water treatment systems. Collectively, this comprehensive review provides insights into the current status, challenge, and future directions of 3D printing in water treatment, emphasizing its transformative role in advancing sustainable and efficient water purification technologies.