Industrial Applications of Ceramic Membranes

The use of ceramic membranes has demonstrated remarkable progress in a variety of industries, including those dealing with the treatment of water and wastewater, food and dairy industries, gas separation, and the production of electricity in microbial fuel cells, among others. The significant rise in the use of ceramic membranes may be attributable to the fact that ceramic membranes possess a wider range of advantageous properties than conventional polymeric membranes, such as resistance to fouling, high permeability, excellent recoverability, chemical stability, and others. Ceramic membranes also have an extended lifespan than conventional polymeric membranes. Additionally, the manufacturing process of ceramic membranes is being improved by incorporating the use of green solvents in their production. This modification will make the manufacturing process of ceramic membranes more environmentally friendly. These membranes are considered a new and effective separation material that can assist the process industry in preserving energy and lowering carbon emissions. In light of this, the application of membrane technologies is becoming an increasingly significant part of the efforts that are being made by industries to be less harmful to the environment. In this context, the chapter focuses on the various applications of ceramic membranes and investigates approaches that can be taken to reduce energy consumption and also throws light on the numerous environmental benefits of using ceramic membranes.