| 主权项 |
1. A process for fabricating a defect-free ceramic membrane comprised of a ceramic membrane comprised of a porous support, at least one intermediate layer disposed on the porous support, and an outermost filtration layer comprised of alumina particles having a multi-modal size distribution disposed on the intermediate layer, said process comprising
providing a ceramic membrane base having at least one open channel therewithin, wherein the ceramic membrane base is comprised of a porous support and at least one intermediate layer on the porous support, preparing a boehmite sol by hydrolyzing an aluminum alkoxide to form a hydrolysis product, and combining the hydrolysis product with a peptizing agent; preparing a colloidal suspension of porous alumina particles; preparing a coating slurry by combining the boehmite sol with the colloidal suspension; depositing the coating slurry onto the intermediate layer to form a coating thereon; and sintering the ceramic membrane base having the coating thereon at a temperature of about 400° C. to 800° C., thereby forming the outermost filtration layer comprised of alumina particles having a multi-modal size distribution, wherein the multi-modal size distribution of alumina particles comprises a first population of porous alumina particles and a second population of alumina particles disposed within interstices between the particles of the first population; the second population of alumina particles having a median particle size ranging from about 5 to about 500 nm; and the first population of alumina particles having a median particle size of less than about 100 times the median particle size of the second population of particles. |
