Preparation of Carbon-Coated Ceramic Membranes for Membrane Distillation and Their Application to PFAS Removal

Membrane distillation (MD) provides an energy-efficient method to remove PFAS using vapor pressure differences. This study develops glucose-derived carbon-coated ceramic membranes, demonstrating their potential for PFAS removal. The membranes, prepared by heat-treating an aqueous glucose solution on porous alumina under a nitrogen atmosphere, exhibited a water contact angle of approximately 118°. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and electron probe microanalysis (EPMA) analyses confirmed carbon coverage on the alumina particles, while mercury porosimetry showed that the pore size decreased with increasing carbon content. The optimal membrane, with 18 mg of carbon and a pore size of 257 nm, achieved over 95% PFAS removal and a water vapor flux of 15 kg/m2h.