Ceramic membranes are a collective term for oxidizing substances. In the true sense, ceramic membranes are composed of substances such as silicon dioxide, titanium nitride (TiN), etc. The ceramic substances used in automotive membranes include tin oxide, indium oxide, tungsten oxide, etc. These substances have a selective filtering function on the solar spectrum, lower reflection, better stability, and remove the characteristics of metal membranes without blocking signals. The insulation method of truly good top-level ceramic membranes is mainly based on blocking, The addition of organic IR+absorbents will impersonate ceramic membranes, This kind of 'ceramic film' It is absorption and insulation, but in fact, these are two different products. Organic IR is very easy to decompose, and the insulation function and color will decline over a long period of time. Real ceramic membranes are theoretically permanent, and their stability cannot be compared to metal membranes. The configuration of ceramic membranes can be divided into three types based on the different supports: flat plate, tubular, and multi-channel. Due to their resistance to acid and alkali, high temperature, and extreme environmental chemistry The stability is relatively good, so generally speaking, the filtration accuracy of ceramic membranes mainly includes three types: microfiltration, ultrafiltration, and nanofiltration. These are ceramic membranes, which are truly ceramic membranes.

The membrane may have one or more parallel flow channels that extend through the entire element in the porous support structure.

To obtain all the desired effects of the ceramic membrane, a specific coating material is applied to the walls of all the flow channels of the membrane. This special coating material contains silicon carbide, which is first dried and then sintered at high temperature in an inert atmosphere. This coating not only makes the membrane robust and durable, but also determines the flow channel pore size and water flux of the membrane. Read more about the membrane production process and membrane coatings here.

Liquid filtration

Liquid filtration includes a variety of processes. The pump ensures that the feed stream is subjected to pressure from one end of the membrane, which will allow the liquid to flow through the flow channel of the membrane. The liquid that flows through the membrane barrier is called permeate. The permeate flows to the outer carrier of the membrane and is continuously discharged as a filtered liquid. Suspended solids, oil droplets, oil emulsions, particles and bacteria cannot penetrate the barrier and are therefore rejected. All rejected elements are called concentrates. The concentrate flows through the membrane flow channel and ends at the other end of the membrane.

Membrane cleaning

As the liquid is filtered, visible and invisible objects from the feed water, such as particles, oil, and biomass, will eventually begin to contaminate the membrane. But with three cleaning procedures, complete fouling can be avoided. This cleaning procedure can be carried out manually, semi-automatically or automatically.

The first process is cross-flow, which cleans the membrane with feed water due to the shear force on the membrane surface. This process is the most common occurrence.

The second process is the traditional backwashing. Backwash is generated by a backwash pump that flushes water back through the membrane orifice in the opposite direction.

The third process is in-situ chemical cleaning, also known as CIP for short. Cleaning-in-place involves chemicals, heat, and water to clean all membranes without disassembling the water treatment unit. CIP is an effective way to clean membranes quickly and efficiently, which is critical in liquid filtration processes. An effective cleaning process ensures short downtime of the entire water filtration system, providing more efficient and cost-effective operations. Read more about how to clean ceramic membranes here.

Future sustainability standards

In addition to the above advantages and features, ceramic membranes can also reduce energy consumption, reduce backwash water consumption, increase capacity, and occupy a small footprint. This ensures compliance with current and future environmental regulations and more sustainable, efficient and cost-effective operations. As a result, ceramic membranes enable other industries to evolve while meeting future sustainability standards.