Treating　oily　wastewater　by　porous　ceramic　membranes　derived　from　solid　waste　is　of　great　significance.　In　the　present　work,　porous　ceramic　membranes　were　fabricated　using　the　dry-pressing　and　solid-state　sintering　method　with　red　mud　as　the　primary　raw　material　and　polymethyl　methacrylate　(PMMA)　microspheres　as　pore-forming　agents.　The　obtained　membrane　with　a　PMMA　percentage　of　35　%　in　the　green　body　and　sintering　at　1100　°C　(PCM35)　possesses　an　open　porosity　of　57.22　%,　a　most　probable　pore　size　of　0.38　μm,　an　average　pore　size　of　0.64　μm,　and　a　flexural　strength　of　5.130　MPa,　exhibiting　amphiphilicity　in　air　with　the　contact　angle　decreasing　finally　to　0°　in　1.52　s　for　water　and　in　69.0　s　for　oil,　and　underwater　oleophobicity　with　an　oil　contact　angle　of　148.9　±　9.4°.　The　membrane　was　used　for　the　separation　of　simulated　oil-in-water　emulsion.　The　separation　performance　depends　on　the　oil　concentration,　the　pH　of　the　emulsion,　and　the　transmembrane　pressure.　Membrane　fouling　occurs　during　the　separation　process,　where　four　models,　namely,　complete　blocking,　intermediate　blocking,　standard　blocking,　and　cake　formation,　are　all　involved　in　the　fouling　within　60　min.　However,　if　the　separation　time　is　extended　to　120　min,　only　the　cake　formation　model　will　control　the　fouling.　The　membrane　exhibits　desirable　long-term　stability　in　separating　the　emulsion　with　an　oil　concentration　of　500　ppm　and　a　pH　of　7　under　a　transmembrane　pressure　of　0.3　bar.　The　steady　permeate　fluxes　remain　relatively　stable　at　approximate　131.4　L/(m2·h·bar),　and　the　oil　rejections　exceed　95.8　%　(higher　than　99　%　in　the　vast　majority　of　cases)　during　the　recycling　process(totally　for　25　cycles,　3000　min).　The　membrane　was　further　adopted　for　real　wastewater　(with　a　high　oil　concentration　of　21.5　g/L)　treatment.　The　results　show　that　the　membrane　can　intercept　most　oil　droplets　within　the　wastewater　with　an　oil　rejection　as　high　as　80.7　%,　and　with　a　steady　permeate　flux　of　15.3　L/(m2·h·bar).　Although　the　oil–water　separation　performance　in　this　work　is　inferior　to　some　of　those　reported　previously,　our　ceramic　membranes　are　highly　competitive　since　they　provide　a　promising　strategy　for　comprehensively　utilizing　red　mud.　©　2025　Elsevier　B.V.