Novel fabrication processing of porous alumina/mullite membrane supports by combining direct foaming, sol-gel, and tape-casting methods

Porous alumina/mullite membrane supports (PAMS) were prepared by using direct foaming as pore foaming method, and silica sol-gel, combined with tape-casting, as a shaping method. The supports displayed a smooth surface and a porous internal structure, with spherical pores of 50-200 mu m in diameter and interconnecting pores of similar to 10 mu m in diameter. The supports sintered at 1600 degrees C exhibited a high bending strength of 13.4 +/- 0.7 MPa, an open porosity of 72.8%, and excellent N-2 and water permeation (4.5 x 10(7) and 4.1 x 10(5) Lm(-2) h(-1) bar(-1), respectively), which qualify them for further consideration in several practical applications. (C) 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.