Application of Turbiscan Stability Index for the Preparation of Alumina Photocatalytic Membranes for Dye Removal.

In this work, for the first time, the stability of the TiO 2 suspensions used for the photocatalytic membrane preparation was studied by considering the Turbiscan Stability Index (TSI). The use of a stable suspension during the membrane preparation (by the dip-coating method) permitted a better dispersion of the TiO 2 nanoparticles into the membrane structure due to a reduction of agglomerates formation. The dip-coating was performed on the macroporous structure (external surface) of the Al 2 O 3 membrane to avoid large reduction of the permeability. In addition, the reduction of the suspension infiltration along the membrane's cross-section allowed us to preserve the separative layer of the modified membrane. The water flux was reduced by about 11% after the dip-coating. The photocatalytic performance of the prepared membranes was evaluated using the methyl orange as a model pollutant. The reusability of the photocatalytic membranes was also demonstrated.