Application of Porous Ceramics

Ceramic materials are receiving more research attention due to their superior properties and characteristics. Porous ceramics, as a category of this kind of materials, provide a vast array of beneficial features of high pertinence to scientists and industries for application in disparate and varied applications. Chemical and thermal stability, high mechanical strength, abrasion resistance, high permeability, and desired selectivity are some of their interesting features. In this chapter, porous ceramic membranes and their applications regarding to the common physical, mechanical, chemical, and thermal properties of these kinds of materials are investigated, as well as new functional properties that could be achieved by altering and modifying their structures and formations. After introducing these membranes with an overall view about their synthesis methods and their properties, their applications are presented in six main categories including ion exchange, catalyst carriers, porous electrodes and membranes, filtration and separation, functional materials, and finally combustion and fire retardance. Although some of these applications have been utilized for a long time, recent studies are reviewed in particular in this chapter.