Effect of Sintering Temperature on the Structure and Properties of Attapulgite-Based Nanofibrous Membranes

Attapulgite (AT)-based nanofibrous membranes (NFMs) were fabricated via a facile papermaking procedure, and the AT-based NFMs were sintered at three different temperatures (240 °C, 400 °C, and 600 °C). The effect of sintering temperature on the structure and properties, such as specific surface area, pore size distribution, porosity, mechanical property, pure water fluxes of AT-based NFMs, were investigated. The results showed that average pore size, total pore volume, and porosity of AT-based NFMs increased with increasing of the sintering temperature, while specific surface area and flexural strength of AT-based NFMs decreased. The optimal sintering temperature for AT-based NFMs was 400 °C. In addition, it was also found that the swelling degree of AT-based NFMs in aqueous solutions was suppressed and the pure water fluxes of AT-based NFMs were improved by sintering process.