Fabrication and properties of novel porous ceramic membrane supports from the (Sig) diatomite and alumina mixtures

Abstract

In this paper, the manufacturing of macro-porous tubular ceramic supports for membranesis described. The novel supports are fabricated from natural diatomite and alumina rawmaterials using the extrusion method. The structure was analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD)and mercury porosimetry techniques; the presence of possible defects was investigated byscanning electron microscopy (SEM). The permeability has been measured from water fluxin standard experiments. Experimental results show that the open porosity, the averagepore size (APS), the pore size distribution, the strength, and the permeability of sinteredsupports, have been found to depend, mainly on the concentration of alumina (Al2O3) addi-tive. Supports prepared with the addition of 10 wt.% of alumina and sintered at 1200°C, canbe considered as the most optimized; they have a porosity ratio of about 46%, an APS isaround 7.7 ?m, a flexural strength value of about 28 MPa, and water permeability of around15 m3h-1m-2bar-1. Such materials could be of great interest in the supports fabrication formembrane application, for instance, water filtration. © 2021 SECV.