Microfiltration (MF) membranes are a key technology for water recovery from agro-food wastewater, but theirperformance is strongly limited by fouling, which reduces permeability and operating life. Ceramic membranes (CMs)outperform polymeric ones in chemical stability, mechanical strength, and longevity, yet their high cost requiresstrategies to improve antifouling efficiency. Among CMs, self-cleaning piezoelectric membranes are emerging as a newsolution, where mechanical vibrations generated under electric field promote impurity detachment and surfaceregeneration. Within the SELWA project (funded by the European Union – Next Generation EU – Grant AssignmentDecree No. 20229PNWM7), porous lead-free (Ba,Ca)(Zr,Ti)O3 (BCTZ) membranes are developed through sacrificial template methods, freeze casting, and binder jetting. This work presents the first results on the correlation betweenmicrostructure, piezoelectric properties, and self-cleaning behaviour. The challenges of transitioning from dense toporous architectures are discussed, together with preliminary water permeability and filtration tests that demonstratethe potential of piezoelectric ceramics as a new strategy for fouling control in advanced MF processes.
Self-Cleaning BCTZ-Based Piezoelectric Porous Ceramic Membranes for Advanced Microfiltration: A NewStrategy for Fouling Control
Pietro Galizia
Primo
;Alessia Tavolaro;Carlo Baldisserri;Davide Gardini;Elisa Mercadelli;Floriana Craciun;Francesco Cordero;Carmen Galassi;Carmela Conidi;Alfredo CassanoUltimo
2026
Abstract
Microfiltration (MF) membranes are a key technology for water recovery from agro-food wastewater, but theirperformance is strongly limited by fouling, which reduces permeability and operating life. Ceramic membranes (CMs)outperform polymeric ones in chemical stability, mechanical strength, and longevity, yet their high cost requiresstrategies to improve antifouling efficiency. Among CMs, self-cleaning piezoelectric membranes are emerging as a newsolution, where mechanical vibrations generated under electric field promote impurity detachment and surfaceregeneration. Within the SELWA project (funded by the European Union – Next Generation EU – Grant AssignmentDecree No. 20229PNWM7), porous lead-free (Ba,Ca)(Zr,Ti)O3 (BCTZ) membranes are developed through sacrificial template methods, freeze casting, and binder jetting. This work presents the first results on the correlation betweenmicrostructure, piezoelectric properties, and self-cleaning behaviour. The challenges of transitioning from dense toporous architectures are discussed, together with preliminary water permeability and filtration tests that demonstratethe potential of piezoelectric ceramics as a new strategy for fouling control in advanced MF processes.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
