Role of starch characteristics in the properties of low-cost ceramic membranes

Abstract

Starch is used as porosity generator in membranes and other porous ceramics. A study was conducted to evaluate the effects of the characteristicsof starches (impurities, particle size), obtained from potato, pea, maize and wheat, on the properties of microfiltration membranes formulated withtraditional raw materials (the ceramic matrix was composed of quartz, albite and mullite). The results indicated that the pore size distributionand the permeability coefficient of the membrane can be controlled by modifying only the particle size of starch. In this way, correlations wereobtained between surface mean diameter of starch and membrane properties (characteristic pore diameters d16and d50, and permeability coefficient).Moreover, it is necessary to use a starch having a mean particle size greater than about 50 m in order to obtain a significant change in the poresize distribution and an increase in the permeability of the membrane