Ceramic membranes are a type of artificial membranes made from inorganic materials (such as alumina, titania, zirconia oxides or some glassy materials). They are used in membrane operations.
By contrast with polymeric membranes, they can used in separations where aggressive media (acids, strong solvents) are present. They also have excellent thermal stability which makes them usable in high-temperature membrane operations.
Like polymeric membranes, they are either dense or porous.
Dense ceramic membranes are used for the purpose of gas separation. Examples are the separation of oxygen from air, or the separation of hydrogen gas from a mixture.
Porous ceramic membranes are chiefly used for gas separation and micro- or nanofiltration. They can be made from both crystalline as well as amorphous solids.
An example of an amorphous membrane is the silica membrane [1].