Open pore microfiltration membranes produced from waste glass

Open pore membranes were processed following the so-called filler principle ' by making use of waste glass as raw material. In this process salt is mix ed with glass powder, it behaves as an inert additive and after removal lea ves a continuous porous structure within the sintered glass. The microstruc ture of the sintered and washed compacts was characterised using SEM, XDR a nd mercury porosimetry. Two salts were investigated, namely NaCl and K2SO4 and results showed that the final density depends strongly on the salt volu me fraction but is insensitive to the salt identity. Pores exhibit flat wal ls and diameters dependent on the sintering temperature. The final pore siz e is suitable for microfiltration systems and enzyme coupling applications.