Sintering behavior of supported and unsupported microfiltration membranes prepared from 3 mol% yttria doped zirconia powder was investigated as a function of temperature and holding time in non-isothermal and isothermal densification. Shrinkage that started at 1000 degreesC showed the highest rate between 1200 degreesC and 1300 degreesC although the rate decreased above 1300 degreesC. The activation energy of sintering was calculated at 735 kJ/mol, assuming the grain boundary diffusion mechanism for mass transport. Mean pore size decreased in unsupported membranes and increased in supported ones as the sintering temperature increased up to 1200 degreesC. Dimensional shrinkage of unsupported membrane slabs showed an increase in shrinkage first in the lateral dimension and then in the thickness as the sintering temperature increased. Pore growth and lower hardness in supported membranes, can be explained due to the restricted lateral shrinkage in the supported membranes. Removal of porosity was pronounced above 1100 degreesC and the density increased linearly as a function of holding time. Microhardness of membranes sintered above 1100 degreesC increased as a function of sintering temperature and was higher in unsupported membranes. Samples sintered above 975 degreesC had a 100% tetragonal phase structure. Permeability of supported membranes increased as a function of sintering temperature due to pore growth despite a decrease in porosity.