High-performance lightweight SiC ceramic membranes via emulsion templating for efficient high-temperature particulate matter filtration

High-temperature gas-solid separation applications demand ceramic membranes with both exceptional mechanical integrity and superior gas permeance, yet conventional processing methods struggle to achieve this balance due to inherent trade-offs between porosity and strength. To address this challenge, a novel emulsion-templating approach was developed for fabricating lightweight porous silicon carbide ceramic membranes (PSCM) with controlled pore architecture and enhanced transport properties. The fabrication strategy employed oil-in-water emulsions stabilized by Tween 80 surfactant, where systematic optimization of surfactant concentration, solid content, and oil-to-water ratios enabled precise control over droplet size and final pore structure. Comprehensive characterization revealed that optimal processing conditions (55 wt% solid content, 1200 °C sintering) produced membranes with 78.5 % porosity and robust flexural strength, and exceptional gas permeance of 188.6 m 3 ·m −2 ·h −1 ·kPa −1 . Performance benchmarking demonstrated superior Darcy’ permeability coefficients compared to conventional porous ceramics at similar porosity levels. High-temperature dust filtration testing at 300 °C using 0.3 μm alumina particles achieved 99.99 % removal efficiency with moderate pressure drop, while long-term stability evaluation confirmed excellent regeneration capability through pulse cleaning cycles. The emulsion-templating methodology successfully overcomes traditional processing limitations, enabling simultaneous optimization of mechanical integrity and transport efficiency for demanding industrial gas cleaning applications.