Highly permeable porous silicon carbide support tubes for the preparation of nanoporous inorganic membranes

• Published in: Journal of membrane science Vol. 451; pp. 192 - 204
• Main Authors: Deng, Wangxue, Yu, Xinhai, Sahimi, Muhammad, Tsotsis, Theodore T.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 01.02.2014; Elsevier
• Subjects: artificial membranes; atomic force microscopy; Chemistry; Colloidal state and disperse state; electron microscopy; Exact sciences and technology; General and physical chemistry; Membranes; nanopores; Nanostructure; Permeation; Porous materials; Porous silicon; powders; Pressure drop; Reluctance; Silicon carbide; Silicon carbide membranes; Silicon carbide supports; Silicon carbide tubes; Sintering; surface roughness; temperature; Transport; Silicon carbide supports; Silicon carbide tubes; Sintering; Silicon carbide membranes; Silicon carbide; Support; Porous membrane; Preparation; Porous material; Inorganic membrane
• ISSN: 0376-7388
• DOI: 10.1016/j.memsci.2013.09.059

Highly permeable and mechanically strong porous SiC tubular supports, used for the fabrication of nanoporous SiC membranes, are prepared by the pressureless sintering of β-SiC particles. Their transport characteristics are studied via inert gas (He and Ar) permeation tests, while their surface structure is characterized by atomic force microscopy and electron microscopy analysis. In this paper, the effects of the type of starting powders used and their composition, the sintering temperature, and the amount of sintering aids utilized on the transport characteristics and the surface roughness of the sintered SiC porous supports are systematically investigated. These tubular SiC supports exhibit very high fluxes (a He permeance as high as 5.8×10−5molm−2Pa−1s−1) and are mechanically strong to withstand the pressure drops required in their use as membrane supports. They have been used in the preparation of high quality SiC nanoporous membranes. •Prepared porous SiC supports have very large gas permeance.•Prepared porous SiC supports have excellent mechanical strength.•Membranes with very good permeation properties are prepared using these supports.•Effects of different variables on permeation properties are investigated.