Influence of firing temperature on pore characteristics of alumina membranes

The physical and chemical characteristics, pore radius, pore size distribution and surface area, pore volume, porosity of the the membrane prepared by sol-gel method using aluminum isoproxide were studied using TG-DTA, BET at different firing temperature from room temperature to 1000 degrees C. The preferred orientation of alumina micrograin of the alumina membrane was studied by XRD. The surface and cross-section were observed by TEM and SEM. The pore size distribution are influenced by preferred orientation of alumina. micrograin. The higher the firing temperature, the higher the degree of the preferred orientation, the more the uniformity of the pore size distribution of the membrane, the bigger the largest the pore radius of the membrane. 400 degrees C is suitable firing temperature of the membrane used as membrane catalysis and/or membrane reaction with the largest the surface area, pore volume and porosity of 283m(2)/g, 0.338mL/g and 53%. 700 degrees C is suitable firing temperature of the membrane used as separation with the surface area, pore volume and porosity of 202m(2)/g, 0.203mL/g and 45%. The largest pore radiu is 5nm, pore with radius of 1 similar to 1.25nm is above 70% pore volume at 700 degrees C.