Titania and Alumina Ceramic Membranes

This paper discusses the physical-chemical properties of γ-Al₂O₃ and TiO₂ ceramic membranes which have been prepared by sol-gel techniques from alkoxide starting materials. Mean pore size and pore size distributions are examined using N₂ sorption analysis. Particle size of sols as measured by in situ quasi-elastic light scattering is compared with SEM analysis of sintered membranes. Crack-free unsupported monoliths with thicknesses up to 120 μm have been prepared of γ-Al₂O₃. Supported TiO₂ membranes have been fabricated with thicknesses up to 0.5 μm. The γ-Al₂O₃ membranes are obtained from “particulate” sols, while for TiO₂ both “particulate” and “polymeric” sols have been used to produce membranes.