The Study of Airborne Particulate Filtration Using a Thin Ceramic Composite membrane Filter

The performance of two novel ceramic composite membrane filters, applied to high temperature gas filtration, was evaluated in an experimental study. Of the filters used, one was prepared in the laboratory, coal fly ash supported by stainless steel mesh, and the other was a commercial zirconia/inconel membrane (Ceramesh). A dusty gas stream was simulated by dispersion of a typical fly ash in air. Several significant characteristics for gas filtration?such as pressure drop, cake formation and filtration efficiency?were investigated with reference to operating temperature and dust concentration in this work. As a result of the experiments, it was found that pressure drop and cake structure are affected by both the operating temperature and the dust concentration of the feed stream. Higher temperatures and higher dust concentrations lead to the formation of more porous cakes, resulting in a lower cake resistance. Both membrane filters showed high collection efficiency, 99.91% for the ash and 99.999% for the Ceramesh membranes