Effect of SiO₂ coating on alumina microfiltration membranes on flux performance in membrane fouling process

Abstract

Inorganic surface modification was performed using a SiO 2 solgel technique to mitigate the fouling of alumina microfiltration membranes. A positively charged alumina membrane was coated with SiO 2 to generate a negative charge, and as a result, electrostatic repulsion prevented the serious adsorption (or deposition) of model foulants on the membrane. Upon the formation of the SiO 2 layer, small changes in the surface morphology, pore size, and surface roughness were detected. In particular, as the pore size decreased, the pure water permeability gradually decreased. When the membrane fouling was accelerated with model foulants, the highest normalized flux level and the lowest flux decline ratio (%) were observed in the smallest SiO 2 -coated microfiltration membrane (0.1 M SiO 2 ). In summary, the SiO 2 coating contributed to the optimization of the antifouling properties of the ceramic membranes, although the pore size was reduced.

Preparation of Al2O3 Multichannel Cylindrical-Tube-Type Microfiltration Membrane with Surface Modification

“…After drying at room temperature for 24 h, the samples were sintered at 1300 • C for 1 h with a heating and cooling rate of 3 • C/min. Alumina microfiltration membranes were surface-modified using the SiO 2 sol-gel process, as described in our previous study [20,21]. A mixture of ethanol/DI water was prepared; then, 0.1 M tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) was dissolved in this mixture by stirring to obtain the SiO 2 sol solution.…”

In-Situ H2O2 Cleaning for Fouling Control of Manganese-Doped Ceramic Membrane through Confined Catalytic Oxidation Inside Membrane

“…On the other hand, membrane surface modification has been studied as a means to mitigate membrane fouling [7][8][9]. With the advantages of strong catalytic activity and a low price, manganese oxides have been considered promising additives for membrane modification [10][11][12].…”