Fabrication of vitreous carbon grid structures by carbonization of 3D printed parts for water-oil separation

An effective oil separating technique from water-oil mixture can be used in various industrial fields such as environmental purification and resource recycling. In this study, a vitreous carbon (VC) grid structure was fabricated by carbonization of digital light processing (DLP) 3D (3-dimensional) printed parts, and its oil separation performance was evaluated. A planner DVC grid structure with pore sizes of ∼200, ∼430 and ∼520 µm was fabricated and its water-oil separation performance werewas evaluated. Despite theoretical calculations suggesting adequate water repelling pressures for pores around ∼300 and ∼360 µm, actual performance fell short due to defects from 3D printing and carbonization processes. A more robust design approach involves fabricating a cuboid shell-shaped VC grid structure with smaller pores (∼150 µm), demonstrating continuous water-oil separation capabilities.