What is reverse osmosis?

What is reverse osmosis?

Reverse osmosis is a membrane separation operation that uses a pressure difference as a driving force to separate a solvent from a solution. The reason why it is called reverse osmosis is because it is the opposite direction of natural osmosis. Normally, during osmosis, the fresh water goes to dilute the salt water to obtain an equilibrium between the two sides. The opposite is true in the reverse osmosis process. By applying pressure to the feed solution on one side of the membrane, water flows from the more concentrated side(more contaminants)  of the RO membrane to the less concentrated side (less contaminants), thus separating fresh water from salt water. The fresh water that is filtered out is called permeate. The remaining concentrated water is called waste or brine. The salt will be left behind, and with only clean water flowing through, we get pure fresh water.

How does reverse osmosis work?

Reverse osmosis systems work by applying pressure to unfiltered water with the force of a high-pressure pump to obtain pure water, forcing the water through a reverse osmosis membrane that filters out almost all dissolved salts and other substances. The water being filtered can be tap water, brackish water or seawater. Reverse osmosis membranes are arguably the heart of a reverse osmosis system, so it is important to ensure they are of the highest quality. Quality reverse osmosis membranes can be obtained from major brands such as Dow Filmtec, CSM and Toray. Many people choose inexpensive membranes to save money but compromise filtration. Good reverse osmosis membranes offer higher rejection rates, energy savings and anti-fouling properties.

What does Reverse Osmosis Remove?

Reverse osmosis membranes work with pore sizes as low as 0.0001 microns, which is unimaginable. So reverse osmosis (RO) systems can remove common contaminants from water, including nitrates, pesticides, sulfates, fluoride, bacteria, pharmaceuticals, arsenic and more. For decades, RO water filtration has proven to be unparalleled when it comes to removing impurities from water in an effective and cost-efficient manner. Reverse osmosis technology is becoming increasingly popular because of its effectiveness in removing a wide range of impurities.

Domestic reverse osmosis

In the home water purifier system, the part before the reverse osmosis membrane can be called pre-treatment, and after the reverse osmosis membrane is called post-treatment. Home water purifiers are generally five or six levels of filtration and purification. The first level is PP cotton, the second level is CTO high-quality coconut shell or shell activated carbon, the third pole is PP or GAC, the fourth level is reverse osmosis membrane, the fifth level is T33, and the sixth level is UV sterilization equipment. These can be adjusted according to the user's preference. Reverse osmosis water purifier group core components reverse osmosis (RO) membrane , reverse osmosis water purifier made of pure water compared to barrel water is fresher, more hygienic, safer, it is very widely used.

Industrial reverse osmosis system

The principle of industrial reverse osmosis systems is no different from that of domestic ones, but they differ greatly in terms of usage, size, flux, service life and filtration area. Industrial reverse osmosis systems are mostly used for municipal water treatment and have more complex processes, such as precipitation tanks, biocide dosing tanks, scale inhibitors and other processes prior to pretreatment. The use of reverse osmosis process dates back to the 1970s, when certain towns in the United States relied on water filtration to remove harmful substances from drinking water. Once homes began implementing the process in the form of small water filtration systems, larger units began to be built for commercial businesses and industrial plants. As safe water standards increased, the safety and quality of reverse osmosis systems increasingly improved. The benefits of these advances in reverse osmosis technology help provide pure drinking water, improve the standard of living in communities and contribute to healthy lifestyles.