Arash Bayat - Research Lab for Separation Processes, Faculty of Chemical Engineering, Iran University of Science and Technology, Tehran, Iran
Mostafa Jafari - Research Lab for Separation Processes, Faculty of Chemical Engineering, Iran University of Science and Technology, Tehran, Iran
Amir Nouri - Research Lab for Separation Processes, Faculty of Chemical Engineering, Iran University of Science and Technology, Tehran, Iran
Shima Ebrahimzadeh - Research Lab for Separation Processes, Faculty of Chemical Engineering, Iran University of Science and Technology, Tehran, Iran

Preparation of γ-alumina ceramic ultrafiltration membranes via sol-gel method has been investigated. The membranes were coated on α-alumina supports via dip coating process. X ray diffraction (XRD) was employed for the membrane characterization. Fine crystallinity of the brookite phase of γ-alumina was obtained after calcination at 550°C. Ceramic membranes were coated 1, 2 and 3 times. The membranes were evaluated using water – milk mixtures and was measured the membranes permeation flux. Also, effects of number of coating steps on permeation through the membranes and their seperation performance were studied. The synthesized membranes could separate water from water – milk mixtures. The membranes coated with three layers exhibited the best performance. Turbidity factor of the membrane permeate was 5.63 (NTU). The best flux was 242.3 (Kg/m2.h) for distilled water and 155.7 (Kg/m2.h) for water – milk mixtures

Ceramic Membrane, Alumina, Sol-gel Method, Coating, Membrane flux