Corrosion Properties of 70SiO2-15TiO2-15ZrO2 Ceramic Membrane

The 70SiO2-15TiO2-15ZrO2 membrane was prepared by a sol-gel procedure. The corrosion behavior of microporous toplayers along with the membrane characterization in terms of pore size, surface area, pore volume and weight loss is described. The final ceramic membrane with a thickness of 400 nm and uniform surface was obtained. This membrane confirmed the fine microporous characteristic with mean pore size < 2 nm. After corrosion test, the corroded membrane revealed a surface with non-uniform coverage of the toplayer. The heated ceramic membrane after and before corrosion test was amorphous. Dissolution of ions was increased in acidic and basic solutions. The weight less of samples increased when pH increased at RT. Porosity of samples increased after the corrosion test. The pore size of membrane increased as compared to the pore size of the original membrane after corrosion conditions. Surface area of the membrane increased in basic solution whereas decreased in acidic solution.