Fabrication of a Zircon Microfiltration Membrane for Culture Medium Sterilization.

Multilayer ceramic membranes to be used for bacteria removal by filtration were prepared from ceramic materials. They consist of a macro-porous carrier, an intermediate layer and a thin separation layer at the top. Tubular and flat disc supports were prepared from silica sand and calcite (natural raw materials), using extrusion and uniaxial pressing methods, respectively. Making use of the slip casting technique, the silica sand intermediate layer and the zircon top-layer were deposited on the supports, in this order. The particle size and the sintering temperature for each layer were optimized to achieve a suitable pore size for the deposition of the next layer. Morphology, microstructures, pore characteristics, strength and permeability were also studied. Filtration tests were conducted to optimize the permeation performance of the membrane. Experimental results show that the total porosity and average pore size of the porous ceramic supports sintered at different temperatures within the range (1150-1300 °C), and lie in the ranges of 44-52% and 5-30 µm, respectively. For the ZrSiO4 top-layer, after firing at 1190 °C, a typical average pore size of about 0.3 µm and a thickness of about 70 µm were measured, while water permeability is estimated to a value of 440 lh-1m-2bar-1. Finally, the optimized membranes were tested in the sterilization of a culture medium. Filtration results show the efficiency of the zircon-deposited membranes for bacteria removal; indeed, the growth medium was found to be free of all microorganisms.

A new and economic approach to synthesize and fabricate bioactive diopside ceramics using a modified domestic microwave oven. Part 2: effect of P2O5 additions on diopside bioactivity and mechanical properties.

In this work, diopside based ceramics was obtained by solid state reaction using conventional sintering (CS) and microwave sintering (MS). Moreover, different amounts of P2O5 (0.5-5.0 wt.%) have been added. It has been found that a relative density up to 95% theoretical was obtained for diopside containing 2.0 and 5.0 wt.% P2O5, sintered at 1250 °C for 2h and at 1075 °C only for 15 min using CS and MS. Excellent values of micro hardness (7.4 ± 0.1 GPa) and 3 point flexural strength (about 270 MPa) for samples containing 5 wt.% P2O5, sintered at 1075 °C for 15 min using MS were measured. Besides this, a relatively low weight loss ratio has been measured (0.01%) for diopside samples containing 5 wt.% P2O5, sintered under the same conditions, after soaking in physiological salt solution for 2 days. Additionally, the bioactivity of diopside by the possibility of formation of apatite on the surface of pure diopside and diopside containing 2 wt.% of P2O5 immersed in simulated body fluid (SBF) was also confirmed. Finally, particular nano-sized of Carbonated hydroxyapatite (CHA) crystals (rice shaped) were formed and covered the surface of these samples, soaked in SBF solution for 14 days.