Physicochemical and antibacterial properties of ceramic membranes based on silicon carbide

Ceramic membranes based on SiC have a number of advantages, namely high surface hydrophilicity, good water permeability and negative surface charge, which leads to better performance during their operation, but they require high sintering temperatures due to covalent bonds. The use of sintering agents can significantly reduce the final sintering temperature. The aim of this work was to synthesise ceramic membranes based on silicon carbide and to study the effect of liquid glass on their mechanical, electrical and antibacterial properties. The physicochemical properties of SiC ceramic membranes were investigated by diffraction analysis and scanning electron microscopy. It was found that, regardless of the type of carbonate, only two phases are identified: the main phase of the initial mixture, silicon carbide and the phase added to the mixture, corundum. The obtained SiC ceramic membranes are macroporous, as indicated by the transport properties (9.03–18.66 cm³/(min-cm²)) and the results of electron microscopy (13–20 μm). SiC ceramic membranes obtained are characterised by high strength (16.3–46.8 MPa). Studies of antibacterial properties have shown that SiC-based ceramic membranes do not exhibit antibacterial properties, but modification of ceramic membranes with titanium oxide inhibits the growth of gram-negative bacteria. The results of this study are useful for enriching the knowledge about the production of silicon carbide membranes and are aimed at further research and development of selective membranes (micro- and ultrafiltration) based on them.