Effect of physicochemical conditions on crossflow microfiltration of mineral despersions using ceramic membranes

Abstract

This paper studies the influence of dispersion pH, ionic strength, and coagulant type on ceramic membrane microfiltration of TiO2 dispersions. A series of crossflow microfiltration experiments were carried out at various pH values, ionic strengths and with various multivalent inorganic salts. The filtration behaviour was analyzed based on measurements of zeta potential of alumina membrane and TiO2 particle and particle size distribution of the TiO2 suspension. The results show that inorganic anions affect the microfiltration of TiO2 dispersion by changing the surface properties of both the alumina membrane and TiO2 particle. The solution environment affects the dispersion of TiO2 particles and plays a major role in the filtration flux.