Abstract
This work concerns the preparation of a mineral membrane by the slip casting method based on zirconium oxide (ZrO2) and kaolin. The membrane support is produced from a mixture of clay (kaolin) and calcium carbonate (calcite) powders using heat treatment (sintering). Membrane and support characterization were performed by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), X-ray Fluorescence (XRF), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), and Raman Spectroscopy. The prepared mineral membrane was tested to treat drinking water obtained from different zones of the El Athmania (Algeria) water station (raw, coagulated, decanted, and bio filtered water). Experimental parameters such as permeate flux, turbidity, and total coliforms were monitored. The results showed that the mineral membrane was mainly composed of SiO2 and Al2O3 and the outer surface, which represented the membrane support, was much more porous than the inner surface where the membrane was deposited. The permeate flux of the raw water decreased with filtration time, due to a rejection of the organic matters contained in the raw water. Moreover, the absence of total coliforms in the filtrate and the increase in concentration in the concentrate indicate that the prepared mineral membrane can be used for drinking water treatment.
Highlights
Membrane processes are increasingly used in industrial areas, covering a wide range of operating conditions and module designs
We describe the methods of the membrane support from the clay powders and zirconia-based ceramic membrane preparations
The characterizations of the support and zirconia-based ceramic membrane are given in Tables 2 and 3
Summary
Membrane processes are increasingly used in industrial areas, covering a wide range of operating conditions and module designs. Clay (kaolin) is used extensively for the production of microporous tubular supports that can withstand high pressures and chemical attacks, where zirconium oxide gels are deposited for the preparation of membranes [11]. The porosity, average pore size and pure water permeability of the zirconia membrane were estimated to be 42%, 0.66 μm, and 1.44 × 10−6 m3 /m2 s kPa, respectively. The prepared membrane showed a 61% rejection of methyl orange from the aqueous solution and a high permeation flux of 2.28 × 10−5 m3 /m2 s at 68 kPa operating pressure [25]. An inexpensive tubular zirconia membrane on a low cost porous ceramic support was synthesized and characterized. The characterizations of raw drinking water, permeate and concentrate quality were illustrated
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