Coat to Constrict: Silicon carbide coatings on alumina membranes by low-pressure chemical vapor deposition to enhance durability and performance
Asif Jan (TU Delft - Sanitary Engineering)
Luuk Rietveld – Promotor (TU Delft - Sanitary Engineering)
S.G.J. Heijman – Promotor (TU Delft - Sanitary Engineering)
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Abstract
Stringent industrial wastewater discharge regulations and rising energy costs demand industries to shift to sustainable water treatment technologies. The conventional physical-chemical wastewater treatment processes struggle to separate inorganic ions and emulsions. While polymeric membranes have limited mechanical, thermal and chemical stability. Ceramic membranes, and in particular silicon carbide (SiC) membranes, have emerged as promising alternatives due to their mechanical strength, thermal resilience, resistance to fouling, low isoelectric point, and super hydrophilicity. However, fabricating both SiC membrane supports and the selective layers require sintering temperatures of ca. 2100°C, with consequent high energy consumption. Additionally, preparing a SiC selective layer requires multiple coating and sintering cycles, which hinder precise pore size control and economic feasibility. To address these limitations, this thesis explores low-pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD) as a route to coat commercially available alumina (Al2O3) supports by SiC at moderate temperatures to replace full SiC membranes...