Enhanced water desalination performance through hierarchically-structured ceramic membranes. Issue 6 (June 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Liu, Tong; Lei, Libin; Gu, Jianqiang; Wang, Yao; Winnubst, Louis; Chen, Chusheng; Ye, Chunsong; Chen, Fanglin
• Is Part Of: Journal of the European Ceramic Society. Volume 37:Issue 6(2017)
• Page Start: 2431
• Page End: 2438
• Publication Date: 2017-06
• Subjects: Membrane distillation -- Seawater desalination -- Hierarchical oriented pores -- Freeze drying tape casting -- X-ray computed tomography; 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.2017.02.001
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0955-2219

Abstract

Abstract: Developments of membrane water desalination are impeded by low water vapor flux across the membrane. We present an innovative membrane design to significantly enhance the water vapor flux. A bilayer zirconia-based membrane with a thick hierarchically-structured support and a thin functional layer is prepared using a combined freeze drying tape casting and screen printing method. The hierarchically-structured YSZ support has a porosity of 42.6%, pores of 4.5 μm or larger, and a relatively low tortuosity of 1.58 along the thickness direction. The bilayer membrane is then converted from naturally hydrophilic to hydrophobic via grafting with a fluoroalkylsilane. A water flux of 28.7 Lm −2 h −1 and a salt rejection of 99.5% are achieved by exposing the functional layer to 80 °C salt water of 2 wt.% NaCl and the support layer to 20 °C distilled water. These results are the best performing ones for ceramic membranes in direct contact membrane distillation operation.