A novel approach for enhancing the abrasion resistance of disc ceramic membranes by surface-patterning technology

In the process of dynamic filtration utilizing disc ceramic membranes, the rapid relative movement between the membrane layer and solid particles within the suspensions could lead to severe abrasion of the membrane. In this study, line patterns were fabricated on the surface of disc ceramic membranes to improve the abrasion resistance performance. As the primary raw material for preparing surface patterns, the zirconia toughened alumina (ZTA) samples sintered at 1475 °C with 2   wt.% addition of TiO 2 displayed a notable bending strength of 352.8   MPa, providing a guarantee for the superior abrasion resistance of the patterned membranes. The erosion wear tests were performed to predict the abrasion resistance of the membranes. Results indicated that when 8 surface lines were printed using a 1.2   mm nozzle, the patterned membranes subjected to the erosion wear test exhibited an abrasion rate of only 22.9% at the radius of 4   cm, which is less than 1/4 that of the non-patterned membrane. Using a 1.2   mm diameter nozzle to print 4, 8, and 12 lines on disc ceramic membranes resulted in enhanced abrasion resistance rates of 56.1%, 89.2%, and 92.9% for the patterned membranes, respectively, when compared to non-patterned membranes. Moreover, when filtering alumina suspensions with a solid content of 100   g/L for extended periods of time, the patterned membrane exhibited a stable permeate flux of 321   L/(m 2 ·h·bar) and a retention rate exceeding 99.6%, demonstrating consistently stable abrasion resistance.