Drinking-water supply remains a significant challenge in tropical areas; to help meet this challenge, the purpose of the present study was to manufacture low-thermal conductivity ceramic membranes suitable for the retention/removal of particles found in non-potable water. These membranes with significant chemical and mechanical resistances were developed from Cameroonian clays, cassava starch, and bovine bone ash. Up to 30% of Cassava starch and bovine bone ash were added to the membrane as porogens (materials used to make pores in membranes). Membranes were manufactured by uniaxial pressing, drying at 105°C, and sintering at 1150°C for 2 h. The effects of various types of porogen on the thermal behavior, microstructure, flexural strength, porosity, and permeability of ceramic membranes were investigated to determine possible applications of those membranes for water filtration in the tropics. The thermal conductivity of membranes produced without a pore-forming agent (SM0) was greater (0.54 Wm^–1K^–1) than those produced with starch (SM1 and SM3) (0.45–0.40 Wm^–1K^–1) or bovine bone ash (SM2) (0.49 Wm^–1K^–1). The total porosity of SM0s (30.72%) was less than those of starch and bovine bone membranes (37.87–45.99%). The average pore size (0.04 μm) of SM2 membranes was the smallest: SM0 (0.09 μm), SM1 (0.10 μm), and SM3 (0.07 μm). The maximum pore size was 0.37 μm, indicating that membranes contain mesopores and macropores. The flexural strengths of SM1 and SM3 membranes (8.85 and 6.97 MPa, respectively) were less than those of SM2 (10.53 MPa) and SM0 (10.28 MPa), and water permeability from 108 L/h·m² bar to 2198 L/h·m² bar. Filtered water properties showed that pH values were upgraded from 5.9 to 7, the turbidity reduction rates and levels were >94% and <0.65 NTU. Particle-size distributions moved from 1150–39,000 nm in polluted water to <2 nm in filtered water. Judging by the sizes of particles present in filtered waters, these membranes may be suitable for elimination of viruses, pigments, proteins, colloids, and bacteria.

在热带地区，饮用水供应仍然是一项重大挑战；为了帮助应对这一挑战，本研究的目的是制造适用于截留/去除非饮用水中发现的颗粒的低导热陶瓷膜。这些具有显着化学和机械抗性的膜是由喀麦隆粘土、木薯淀粉和牛骨灰制成的。高达 30% 的木薯淀粉和牛骨灰作为致孔剂（用于在膜上形成孔的材料）添加到膜中。膜通过单轴压制制造，在 105°C 下干燥，并在 1150°C 下烧结 2 小时。不同类型致孔剂对热行为、微观结构、弯曲强度、孔隙率、研究了陶瓷膜的渗透性和渗透性，以确定这些膜在热带地区用于水过滤的可能应用。不使用成孔剂 (SM0) 生产的膜的热导率更高 (0.54 Wm^–1 K ^–1 ) 比用淀粉 (SM1 和 SM3) (0.45–0.40 Wm ^–1 K ^–1 ) 或牛骨灰 (SM2) (0.49 Wm ^–1 K ^–1 ) 生产的那些。SM0s 的总孔隙率 (30.72%) 小于淀粉和牛骨膜 (37.87–45.99%)。SM2 膜的平均孔径 (0.04 μm) 最小：SM0 (0.09 μm)、SM1 (0.10 μm) 和 SM3 (0.07 μm)。最大孔径为 0.37 μm，表明膜含有中孔和大孔。SM1和SM3膜的弯曲强度（分别为8.85和6.97 MPa）低于SM2（10.53 MPa）和SM0（10.28 MPa），透水性从108 L/h·m ² bar到2198 L/h ·米²酒吧。过滤后的水特性表明，pH 值从 5.9 升级到 7，浊度降低率和水平分别为 >94% 和 <0.65 NTU。粒径分布从污染水中的 1150–39,000 nm 移动到过滤水中的 <2 nm。根据过滤水中存在的颗粒大小判断，这些膜可能适合去除病毒、色素、蛋白质、胶体和细菌。