Preparation and characterization of hydrophobic alumina planar membranes for water desalination. Issue 2 (February 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Ren, Chunlei; Fang, Hong; Gu, Jianqiang; Winnubst, Louis; Chen, Chusheng
• Is Part Of: Journal of the European Ceramic Society. Volume 35:Issue 2(2015:Feb.)
• Page Start: 723
• Page End: 730
• Publication Date: 2015-02
• Subjects: Ceramic materials -- Periodicals; Composite materials -- Periodicals; Matériaux céramiques -- Périodiques; Composites -- Périodiques; Ceramic materials; Composite materials; Periodicals; Electronic journals; 666.05
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jeurceramsoc.2014.07.012
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0955-2219

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="author" id="abs0005"> <title id="sect0005">Abstract</title> <sec> <p id="spar0005">A planar alumina membrane was prepared by a one-step phase-inversion tape casting method. The membrane consisted of a thick support layer with finger-like large pores and a thin separation layer containing small pores with an average diameter of ∼0.76 μm. The overall porosity of the membrane was ∼59%, as determined with the Archimedes method, and the porosity associated with the large, finger-like pores in the support layer was ∼34% as derived from image analysis. The surface of this alumina membrane was converted from hydrophilic to hydrophobic via grafting with a fluoroalkylsilane. The water desalination performance was tested by exposing the hydrophobic separation layer to an aqueous solution of 2 wt.% NaCl at 80 °C, while a sweep of distilled water at 20 °C was used, resulting in a water flux of 19.1 L m⁻² h⁻¹ and a salt rejection over 99.5%. Due to the excellent water desalination performance, the hydrophobic porous ceramic membrane holds promise for practical applications.</p> </sec> </abstract>