Effect of sintering temperature on physical properties of bauxite-based hollow fiber membrane

With abundant Malaysian bauxite minerals as the selected materials, hollow fiber ceramic membrane was fabricated for efficient production of high quality water from oil field oily wastewater. Effect of sintering temperature between 1250°C and 1450°C on membrane porosity, size of membrane pore, hydrophilicity, mechanical strength and water permeation were examined and the results were analyzed to determine the most suitable hollow fiber membrane for the application. Based on obtained findings, the most suitable sintering temperature was 1350°C. The acceptable strength and morphological behavior of finger-like and sponge-like voids were found to be advantageous characteristics for the fabricated bauxite hollow fiber membrane. Its pleasant structure with good outer and inner layers of separation might be beneficial for the oily wastewater purification applications.