Industrial Applications of Porous Ceramic Membranes (Pressure‐Driven Processes)

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This chapter discusses the industrial applications of porous ceramics membranes. Pressure-driven membrane processes are among the most mature membrane technologies. They are used for liquid separations and are generally classified into four categories: reverse osmosis (RO), nanofiltration (NF), ultrafiltration (UF), andmicrofiltration (MF). Pressure-driven membrane processes at present have high industrial impact, with a market constantly growing. They are used in a wide range of separation processes and are considered among the best available technologies (BAT), in the European Union environmental recommendations because they present several advantages with respect to other separation processes. The main applications of RO are found in the desalination of brackish and seawater; the production of ultrapure water (electronic industry); concentration of food juice, sugars, and milk; and in the treatment of wastewater. The performance of the ceramic membrane-based systems depends on the separation and permeation properties of the membrane as well as its mechanical integrity. These properties depend on the selective top layer and on the support system on which the active separation layer is coated. Therefore, pore size, porosity, surface roughness, and mechanical properties—all are important parameters.

Section snippets

Introduction: Pressure‐Driven Membrane Processes

Pressure‐driven membrane processes are among the most mature membrane technologies. They are used for liquid separations and are generally classified into four categories (Fig. 6.1). These are, in ascending order of size of solutes that can be separated, reverse osmosis (RO), nanofiltration (NF), ultrafiltration (UF), and microfiltration (MF):

  • Microfiltration (0.05–10 μm)

  • Ultrafiltration (0.1–0.001 μm)

  • Nanofiltration (0.005–0.0005 μm)

  • Reverse osmosis (<0.0005 μm, no “real” pores)

As pores (and

Porous Ceramic Membranes used in Pressure‐Driven Filtration

The most common ceramic membranes are made of Al, Si, Ti, or Zr oxides. Other materials include nonoxides (carbides, borides, nitrides, and silicides) and composites, which are made of combinations of oxides and nonoxides. Al, Zr, and Ti oxides are suitable for food and pharmaceutical applications as they meet the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requirements detailed in 21 Code of Federal Regulations (Good manufacturing practices). They normally have an asymmetrical structure composed of

Industrial Applications of Ceramic Membranes

Initially, ceramic membranes were developed for uranium enrichment and were also used in wastewater treatment. Over the past years, successful solutions and possible applications covered all industries and ceramic membranes are increasingly being used in industries such as biotechnology and pharmaceutical, dairy, food and beverage, as well as chemical and petrochemical, microelectronics, metal finishing, and power generation. Each industry has specific needs and opportunities. Some current

Ceramic Membrane Applications in Water and Wastewater Treatment

In the end of the 1980s, together with increased environmental awareness within society and industry, “zero discharge” changed from a technical description of 100% wastewater recycling to a “goal.” The principle of “zero discharge” is recycling of all industrial wastewater. This means that wastewater will be treated and used again in the process. Because of the water reuse, wastewater will not be released on the sewer system or surface water.

Acknowledgments

Authors are grateful to the following people and companies, who were so kind as to review this chapter, provide useful comments and corrections, and give most of the pictures shown. They are listed below in alphabetical order of their company name: Peter Bolduan from atech innovations gmbh; Bruce Bishop from CeraMem; Andrew Frost from Fairey Filtration Systems Limited; Pierre Strauch from IBMEM; Ingolf Voigt from inopor GmbH; John Finley from MemPro Ceramics; David Dubbin and Bob Keefe from

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