Maximizing Efficiency and Affordability with Ceramic Membranes for Enzyme Immobilization

Low-cost ceramic microfiltration membranes were explored for immobilizing lipases. Expensive commercial ceramics (e.g., alumina, zirconia) have advantages like chemical robustness, but high sintering temperatures limit their usability. To overcome this, researchers used Fuller's earth clay with rice husk ash to create cost-effective membranes. However, fewer reactive sites on ceramic surfaces hinder enzyme immobilization. To address this, 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane and glutaraldehyde activated the membrane for covalent lipase binding. The immobilized membrane retained activity for over five 1-h reaction cycles with a minimal performance decline of around 60 %. After five cycles, it retained over 40 % of the initial activity. These results show promise for using low-cost ceramic membranes in various industries, such as in food, beverages, pharmaceuticals, and chemical production. Cost-effective ceramic membranes were explored for modification with 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane and glutaraldehyde to effectively immobilize lipases. The modified membrane demonstrated sustained enzyme activity over multiple cycles, promising applications in various industries. image