Direct Synthesis of Ceramic Membranes by Sol-Gel Process

Ceramic ultrafiltration and nanofiltration membranes (TiO₂) are prepared by sol-gel route using a special arrangement which allows the reaction of the reactants directly in the pores of a tubular Al₂O₃ support or on its surface, respectively. By this direct synthesis the number of technological steps can be reduced which is the main advantage of the method. The produced layers are well joined with the Al₂O₃ support and the reaction can be adjusted by various technological parameters. The dried and sintered coatings are characterized by X-Ray diffraction, FESEM and AFM. In addition, pore size distribution and filtration properties are investigated and discussed.