REVERSE OSMOSIS
Reverse Osmosis (RO) is a water purification technology that uses a semipermeable membrane to remove ions, molecules, and larger particles from water. In RO, an applied pressure is used to overcome osmotic pressure, a colligative property, that is driven by chemical potential differences of the solvent, a thermodynamic parameter.
Reverse osmosis (RO)
➙ Reverse osmosis (RO) is a process that removes a large portion of dissolved solids and other contaminants from water by forcing it through a semipermeable membrane.
➙ Understanding reverse osmosis requires knowledge of osmosis, a natural process where a weaker saline solution migrates towards a stronger saline solution.
➙ Osmosis is a crucial natural phenomenon, seen in processes like plant roots absorbing water from the soil and kidneys absorbing water from blood.
➙ In osmosis, a solution with lower concentration naturally moves towards a solution with higher concentration, as demonstrated by water with low salt content moving towards water with higher salt content when separated by a semipermeable membrane.
➙ A semi-permeable membrane allows certain atoms or molecules to pass through while blocking others.
➙ A screen door is a simple example, allowing air molecules to pass but blocking larger particles like pests.
➙ Gore-Tex fabric is another example; it has tiny pores that allow water vapor to pass but block liquid water.
➙ Reverse osmosis (RO) is the process of osmosis in reverse, requiring energy to push water through the membrane.
➙ Unlike natural osmosis, reverse osmosis requires applying pressure to the saline solution to force water molecules through the membrane.
➙ The reverse osmosis membrane permits water molecules to pass but blocks most dissolved salts, organics, bacteria, and pyrogens.
➙ Applying pressure greater than the natural osmotic pressure forces water through the membrane, leaving contaminants behind.
How does Reverse Osmosis work?
What will Reverse Osmosis remove from water?
➭ Reverse osmosis (RO) can remove 95-99% of dissolved salts, particles, colloids, organics, bacteria, and pyrogens from feed water.
➭ The RO membrane rejects contaminants based on size and charge; contaminants with a molecular weight greater than 200 or with a higher ionic charge are more likely to be rejected.
➭ RO systems do not effectively remove gases like carbon dioxide (CO2) due to their low molecular weight and charge, which can lead to slightly lower pH levels in permeate water.
➭ RO is effective for treating brackish, surface, and groundwater in various applications, including pharmaceutical production, boiler feed water, food and beverage processing, metal finishing, and semiconductor manufacturing.
Applications of RO
Reverse osmosis is very effective in treating brackish (surface and ground), tap and sea water for both small and large applications.
➙ Municipal drinking water
➙ Food and beverage industry
➙ Agricultural irrigation
➙ Industrial ultrapure water
➙ Industrial process water
➙Waste water reuse
➙Power industry (boiler feed water, cooling towers)
➙ Municipal/industrial water reuse
➙ Households
➙ Food and beverage industry
➙ Agricultural irrigation
➙ Industrial ultrapure water
➙ Industrial process water
➙Waste water reuse
➙Power industry (boiler feed water, cooling towers)
➙ Municipal/industrial water reuse
➙ Households
➙ Engineered and custom designed solutions for unique solutions.
➙ Turn-key solutions including design, engineering, manufacturing, automation, installation, maintenance and training.
➙ State-of-art technologies for effective water and wastewater treatment, recycling, reuse, and disposal.
➙ Best on-line assistance and on-site service and support.
➙ Turn-key solutions including design, engineering, manufacturing, automation, installation, maintenance and training.
➙ State-of-art technologies for effective water and wastewater treatment, recycling, reuse, and disposal.
➙ Best on-line assistance and on-site service and support.
Advantages
Disadvantages
Applications
➙ Residential
RO systems are commonly used in households for drinking and cooking water purification.
➙ Industrial
Used in industries to provide high-quality water for manufacturing processes, especially in pharmaceuticals, food and beverage, and electronics.
➙ Desalination
RO is a key technology in desalination plants, converting seawater into potable water.
➙ Medical
Provides purified water for medical applications, including dialysis and laboratory use.
➙ Agriculture
Used in agriculture to provide high-quality water for irrigation and hydroponic systems.
Summary
Reverse Osmosis is an effective and proven technology to reduce water contaminants. Further post treatment after the RO system such as mixed bed deionization can increase the quality of the RO permeate and make it suitable for the most demanding applications. Proper pretreatment and monitoring of an RO system is crucial to preventing costly repairs and unscheduled maintenance. With the correct system design, maintenance program, and experienced service support, your RO system should provide many years of high purity water.