What Reverse Osmosis Is

Reverse osmosis is a means for separating dissolved solids from water molecules in aqueous solutions as a result of the membranes being composed of special 

The feed stream is split into two fractions - a purified portion called the product water (or pejmeate) and a smaller portion called the concentrate containing most of the impurities in the feed stream. At the far end of the feed-water passage, the concentration (dewatered) reject stream exits from the cell. After permeating the membrane, the product (fresh-water) flow is collected. The percentage of product water obtained from the feed stream is termed the recovery, typically around 75 percent. 

Cellulose acetate is a common membrane material, but others include nylon and aromatic polyamides. The mechanism at the membrane surface involves the influent water and impurities attempting to pass through the pressurized side, but only pure water and certain impurities soluble in the membrane emerge from the opposite side. 

Major problems inherent in general applications of RO systems have to do with (1) the presence of particulate and colloidal matter in feed water, (2) precipitation of soluble salts, and (3) physical and chemical makeup of the feed water. All RO membranes can become clogged, some more readily than others. This problem is most severe for spiral-wound and hollow-fiber modules, especially when submicron and colloidal particles enter the unit (larger particulate matter can be easily removed by standard filtration methods). A similar problem is the occurrence of concentration-polarization, previously discussed for ED processes. Concentration-polarization is caused by an accumulation of solute on or near the membrane surface and results in lower flux and reduced salt rejection. 

The degree of concentration that can be achieved by RO may be limited by the precipitation of soluble salts and the resultant scaling of membranes. The most troublesome precipitate is calcium sulfate. The addition of polyphosphates to the influent will inhibit calcium sulfate scale formation, however, and precipitation of many of the other salts, such as calcium carbonate, can be prevented by pretreating the feed either with acid or zeolite softeners, depending on the membrane material. 

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