Preparation and Characterization of Single Layer Ultra Filtration Alumina Membrane Directly over Porous Clay-Alumina Tubular and Capillary Support for Textile Effluent Treatment

• Published in: Transactions of the Indian Ceramic Society Vol. 73; no. 3; pp. 197 - 204
• Main Authors: Sarkar, Sandeep, Ghosh, Sourja, Banerjee, Priya, Larbot, André, Cerneaux, Sophie, Bandyopadhyay, Sibdas, Bhattacharjee, Chiranjib
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Taylor & Francis 03.07.2014
• Subjects: Aluminum oxide; Chemical Sciences; Clay-alumina; Crack-free; Effluents; Membranes; Porosity; Single layer; Slip casting; Slurries; Support tube; Textile effluent; Textiles; Tubes; Ultrafiltration
• ISSN: 0371-750X; 2165-5456
• DOI: 10.1080/0371750X.2014.882246

Clay-alumina porous tubular supports of 8/6 mm for outside diameter/inside diameter (OD/ID) were prepared by extrusion and sintering at 1450°C for 110 min to obtain an average pore size of 1 µm and porosity of 40%. Slip casting slurry was prepared by peptization of boehmite (AlO(OH)) powder with 1.5 N nitric acid and mixing it with γ-Al 2 O 3 powder of 40 nm particle size along with PVA and PEG in determined weight percentage. Clay alumina porous support tubes of 3.1/1.9 and 8/6 mm (OD/ID) were coated with the slip casting slurry and sintered at 550°C for 60 min to obtain γ-alumina membrane directly over the supports in a single step. The membrane layer prepared over both the support tubes were without any intermediate layer. The membranes presented a pore diameter distribution centered at 7.0 nm on 3.1/1.9 mm (OD/ID) and 5.5 nm on 8/6 mm (OD/ID) supports, which was in ultrafiltration (UF) range. The prepared UF membranes were studied for treatment of bio-treated synthetic and real textile effluent in the side stream mode. About 98% decolorization of synthetic dye solution and 95.6% colour removal of real textile effluent were obtained by the combined effect of UF membrane and bioreactor.