Fabrication and Evaluation of Ceramic-Based Hollow Fiber Membrane Modules for Hemodialysis Applications

The application of ceramic membranes in hemodialysis modules remains underexplored, as prior investigations have primarily concentrated on flat-sheet samples or small-scale assessments. This study advances the field by fabricating Al₂O₃ hollow fiber membranes, integrating them into a lab-scale module, and systematically evaluating the influence of sintering temperature on their structural characteristics, hemocompatibility, and dialysis performance. Al₂O₃ hollow fiber membranes were prepared using a phase inversion method and then sintered at three different temperatures. All membranes exhibited superior protein adsorption behavior compared to conventional polymer-based membranes, which indicates higher biocompatibility. Furthermore, the amount of adsorbed protein decreased with increasing sintering temperature. This suggests that the amount of protein adsorption can be controlled by adjusting the heat treatment conditions. The lab-scale hemodialyzer integrated with a membrane sintered at 1200 °C achieved the fastest urea removal rate of approximately 90% in 2 h and reached a <i>Kt</i>/<i>V</i> value of 1.1 after 60 min, which is comparable to the performance of commercial polymer-based hemodialyzers.