Rapid construction of ceramic microfiltration membranes with a gradient pore structure using UV-curable alumina suspension

The design and construction of gradient pore structures are effective in the preparation of high-performance ceramic membranes. In this study, ceramic microfiltration membranes with tertiary gradient structures were obtained by combining 3D printing with dip-coating technology based on a UV-curable alumina suspension. Millimeter-scale pyramid-type microporous structures formed by coarse-particle stacking were used in the support, while submicron pore structures formed by the accumulation of fine particles were employed in the membrane layer. The optimized ceramic support had an effective pore size of 1.02 μm and pure water permeance of 1850 L·m−2 h−1·bar−1. After the deposition of the membrane layer, the effective pore size was significantly reduced to 109 nm, while the pure water permeance remained as high as 1050 L·m−2 h−1·bar−1. Additionally, ceramic microfiltration membranes exhibited good performance in the separation of nanoparticles from water suspensions.