With recyclable industrial waste coal fly ash and bauxite as starting materials, porous mullite-whisker-structured ceramic membrane supports were fabricated at sintering temperatures ranging from 1100 to 1400 degrees C with addition of AlF3 and MoO3 as crystallization catalyst and mineralizer, respectively. Dynamic sintering of mullite membrane supports was first studied. Then the characterizations were focused on open porosity, pore size distribution, gas flux and mechanical properties, microstructure and phase evolution. It shows that the introduction of MoO3 effectively promoted the growth of elongated mullite crystals in the membrane support by reducing the high temperature viscosity of the liquid melt. Addition of 5 wt% MoO3 lowered the secondary mullitization temperature, resulting in more mullite formation at temperatures as low as 1200 degrees C, while a porosity of 45.4 +/- 0.9% was obtained. After sintering at 1200 degrees C, the open porosity was 47.3 +/- 0.6% for the sample containing 4 wt% AlF3. The co-introduction of MoO3 and AlF3 promoted formation of a whisker-interlocked porous structure, which effectively improved open porosity and permeation flux without significant mechanical strength degradation.
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