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The preparation and characterization of tubular ceramic membranes aiming to do microfiltration using alumina and kaolin powders as raw materials were carried out. The membranes were obtained by doing slip casting of the suspensions. The suspensions consisted of alumina-kaolin powders, water, and 0.9 wt.% of dolapix CE64 as deflocculant. The variations made during suspension preparation includes the use of different ratios between alumina-kaolin powder and distilled water of 60 wt.%: 40 wt.% and 65 wt.% : 35 wt.%, and also the use of addition of different percentage of starch of 0.5, 1, 2, and 3 wt.% as pore former into the suspension. Upon casting, the manufacture was then followed by sintering process in a furnace, which was also varied into up to 1000°C, 1100°C, and 1200°C. The procedure was then completed by doing subsequent characterizations of the sintered membranes by determining their microstructure using SEM (Scanning Electron Microscopy) and pure water permeability and E. coli bacteria rejection experiment with McFarland turbid solution that were executed in a customized microfiltration module. All of the membrane samples succeeded to have 100% E. coli rejection. However, out of all the membrane samples, membrane with powder to distilled water ratio of 65 wt.% : 35 wt.% with 0.9 wt.% dolapix sintered at 1100°C gave results to the highest water permeate flux.

Fabrikasi penyangga membran lorong jamak dengan bahan alumina dan kaolin menggunakan metode ektrusi untuk proses mikrofiltrasi telah dilakukan. Potensi penggunaan membran di berbagai aspek industri mendorong dilakukannya penelitian ini mengingat belum adanya industri membran dalam negeri. Penggunaan bahan utama alumina dan kaolin denga menambahkan bahan imbuhan seperti CMC, Metosel, corn starch dan aquadest untuk menghasilkan massa keramik plastis. Pengujian keplastisan dilakukan sebagai petunjuk awal dilakukannya proses ektrusi. Faktor yang menetukan keberhasilan penyangga membran telah dapat diidentifikasi dan diselesaikan yaitu faktor geometri pada sepanjang cetakan, diameter cetakan pada bagian pembentukan suport minimal sama. Diameter pori yang dibentuk oleh pembentuk pori bergantung pada diameter dari poreformer . Starch yang digunakan sebagai pembentuk pori pada percobaan ini menghasilkan diameter pori dengan rata-rata 10 mikron