Ceramic capillary membrane has received much attention due to its relatively high pack density and favorable mechanical strength.However,it is difficult to prepare capillary membrane on its thin support by a dip-coating method.In this study,alumina microfiltration membranes were prepared on the inner surface of alumina capillary support(outer diameter 4 mm,inner diameter 2.5 mm)by a dip-coating method.Scanning electron microscopy(SEM)observation,gas bubble pressure(GBP)method and membrane permeation test were carried out to evaluate membrane performance.Two major effects in preparation of crack-free membrane,capillary filtration and film-coating,upon the thin support were studied.The as-prepared crack-free membrane presents a narrow pore size distribution,a mean pore size of about 0.6μm and a high pure water flux of 86000 L·m -2 ·h -1 ·MPa.It is proved that the membrane thickness should be sufficiently large to overcome the defects of support surface,but it is only one of the prerequisites for the formation of crack-free membrane.Furthermore,it is demonstrated that the capillary filtration effect is greatly restricted for thin capillary support with the dip-coating method and the film-coating effect plays a crucial role in the formation of crack-free membrane.
