Understanding Reverse Osmosis

How RO systems work and what they do.

What is Reverse Osmosis

A Reverse Osmosis or commonly referred to as RO, for short, is a water filtration/Purification system or method which uses a partially permeable membrane to separate ions, unwanted molecules, and larger particles from water.

This water purification method reduces dissolved or suspended elements in water using pressure to push the unfiltered water, through a semipermeable membrane. Hence separating freshwater living saltwater on the other side of the membrane.

Understand Reverse Osmosis

To better understand reverse osmosis we need to understand first understand the naturally occurring process of Osmosis. Naturally is a process by which the molecules of a solvent pass from a solution of low concentration to a solution of high concentration through a semi-permeable membrane. An example of this process is who plants absorb water through their whole roots, the majority of the water is absorbed by root hairs. The root hairs act as a semipermeable barrier, allowing water molecules to move from high concentration (soil) to low concentration (roots).

On the other hand, Reverse Osmosis works in a similar way, the only difference is the process will be controlled. Saltwater or feed water is forced to pass through a membrane that allows only pure water to pass through. Reverse Osmosis operates under high pressure and uses a special type of membrane to filter refreshed water from salts.

Below is a diagram outlining the process of Reverse Osmosis. When pressure is applied to the concentrated solution, the water molecules are forced through the semi-permeable membrane and the contaminants are not allowed through.

How Does Reverse Osmosis Work?

This is a diagram outlining the process of Reverse Osmosis. When pressure is applied to the concentrated solution, the water molecules are forced through the semi-permeable membrane and the contaminants are not allowed through.

The reverse osmosis membrane then removes molecules heavier than water, such as sodium, high levels of lead, dissolved minerals, and fluoride. Finally, the post-carbon filter polishes the water.

Reverse Osmosis systems.

At HID, we specialize in assembling different kinds of RO membranes for different kinds of systems. From small residential membranes systems, commercial systems membranes, and industrial membranes for big systems. We continue to perfect the quality of the reverse osmosis membranes and with modern technologies and experience, we have managed to reach an amazing level of water purification. We are going to explain how the RO system works in this section.

RO water treatment systems are now widely used for filtering both drinking water, in residential, commercial, and industrial applications. RO systems have various stages depending on the number of RO membrane filters used in the system. They are a lot of pre-filters and post-filters. In most cases, RO systems are classified according to the amount of pure water they produce per day and this is called Gallons Per Day also common as GPD.

How a reverse osmosis membrane work

All reverse osmosis systems operate in a comparable pattern, using a pressure pump to increase pressure on the salt side of the RO and force water across the semi-permeable RO membrane. This process leave approximately 95 percent to 99 percent of dissolved salts in the reject stream. However the more concentrated the feed water, the more pressure is required to overcome the osmotic pressure. The amount of pressure needed in a RO system also determines the size or type of membrane that can be used by the system. This is a very important point and we will explain it further in another section.

Min Salt rejection