Method for the production of ceramic hollow fibres
AssigneeNederlandse Organisatie voor toegepast-natuurwetenschappelijk onderzoek TNO
InventorsRinse Alle Terpstra, Joost Petrus Gerardus Maria Van Eijk, Frits Kornelis Feenstra
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Abstract
In order to produce ceramic hollow fibers, in particular hollow fiber membranes for microfiltration, ultrafiltration and gas separation, a paste is made filling a polymer binder system with a ceramic powder. The paste is processed by extruding through a spinneret to give hollow fibers. The binder system is removed with the aid of thermal diffusion and the powder particles are sintered to each other.
Claims6
A method for producing ceramic hollow fiber membranes for microfiltration, ultrafiltration and gas separation, said filter membranes having an external diameter of 0.5-3 mm and a wall thickness of 30-500 .mu.m, said method comprising:
- making a paste by filling a thermoplastic polymer binder system with a ceramic powder;
- making said thermoplastic binder system plastic by heating;
- melt extruding the paste through a spinneret to produce ceramic hollow fiber membranes;
- heating the membranes to remove the binder system by thermal diffusion;
- and
- sintering the powder particles to each other to obtain single layer hollow fiber membranes being free of an additional micro-porous layer, said fiber membranes having a porosity of at least 30%.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.