GUIMARÃES, I. O.; http://lattes.cnpq.br/4671177478333159; GUIMARÃES, Iliana de Oliveira.
Resumen:
The Bayer process uses bauxite as raw material to obtain alumina. This process
includes four stages: digestion, clarification, precipitation and calcination. The waste
generated during the calcination step is a product with small particle size, known as
ESP dust. This research aimed to develop tubular ceramic membranes using in its
composition the ESP dust, an alumina powder from electrostatic precipitator, and a
bentonite clay. Initially, the characterization of the precursors was performed. Two
samples were studied, one from crude residue and other from calcined residue at
1200°C. These samples showed a high content of alumina in chemical compositions.
The gibbsite and α-alumina phases were identified in crude residue and after
calcination gibbsite was completely transformed into α-alumina. Were observed no
significant changes in particles size and morphology after calcination, but during this
process, the particles become porous, probable due changes in crystalline phase of
alumina and the water outlet of crystals. Among twenty different formulations tested
to produce ceramic membranes, four compositions showed better results with regard
to the extrusion processing: two compositions with crude residue and two with
calcined residue. In this paper, tubular membranes produced from alumina residue
and bentonite clay were sintered at 900, 1000 and 1100°C. It was observed that the
produced membranes had surfaces with distributed pores. The apparent porosity was
between 47.70% (composition with 60% of calcined residue and 40% of bentonite
clay sintered at 1000°C) and 58.40% (composition with 70% of crude residue and
30% of bentonite clay sintered at 1000°C). Tangential flow tests were performed with
deionized water at pressures of 1.0; 1.5 and 2.0 Bar. Higher permeate flow rate
(909,24L/h.m2) was observed for membranes made of a composition containing
crude residue (70%) and bentonite clay (30%) sintered at 1100°C, applying pressure
of 1 bar.