Ceramic FAQ

Ceramic membrane filters are manufactured from an inorganic matrix of zirconium oxide and titanium dioxide, providing exceptional mechanical strength, chemical resistance, and thermal stability. Unlike polymer membrane filters, ceramic membranes can operate at temperatures up to 350°C and withstand aggressive chemicals, solvents, and extreme pH conditions. Their durable construction allows for repeated regeneration, backflushing, and high-temperature or chemical cleaning without compromising performance. These advantages make ceramic filtration membranes ideal for industrial filtration, pharmaceutical manufacturing, biotechnology, food and beverage processing, and other applications requiring long service life, reliable performance, and high-temperature operation.

Before first use, tubular ceramic membranes should be preconditioned by cleaning with soft water containing 200 ppm sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) at pH 10 and 50 °C for 20 minutes, following the manufacturer's recommendation. This procedure helps prepare the ceramic membrane for optimal filtration performance.

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Ceramic membrane disc filters have two distinct surfaces: a bright white, smooth membrane surface and an off-white/tan, rougher support surface with the lot number and pore size printed on it. For optimal filtration performance, install the membrane with the bright white, smooth surface facing the feed (upstream). The off-white/tan printed side should face the downstream side.

No. Sterlitech ceramic membrane filters are currently available only for microfiltration (MF) and ultrafiltration (UF) applications. At present, ceramic membrane technology cannot achieve the salt rejection performance required for nanofiltration (NF) or reverse osmosis (RO). For applications requiring RO or NF membranes, polymeric membrane technologies remain the appropriate choice.

Ceramic membrane disk filters are significantly thicker than conventional membrane filters and are not compatible with standard membrane filter holders. For proper sealing, support, and filtration performance, they should be used with Sterlitech's specially designed ceramic membrane filter holders, which are engineered to accommodate the increased membrane thickness.

No. Sterlitech ceramic membrane disk filters are currently available only in 47 mm and 90 mm diameters. If your application requires a different membrane size, consider alternative inorganic membrane filters, such as Aluminum Oxide (AAO) or silver membrane filters, which may better meet your dimensional requirements.

No. There is no direct conversion between membrane pore size (microns, µm) and molecular weight cutoff (MWCO, Daltons) because they measure different properties. Pore size describes the physical dimensions of membrane pores, while MWCO estimates the molecular weight of solutes retained by ultrafiltration membranes. However, an approximate correlation between pore size and MWCO may be used as a general guide, depending on the membrane's pore structure and material. Refer to the pore size vs. MWCO comparison chart to help identify the most appropriate membrane for your application.