Much of man’s technological innovations today have been borrowed mostly from nature. One of them is a very important process called “reverse osmosis”. It is the opposite of the natural process called osmosis. What, then, is reverse osmosis and what does it do?
As man moves towards progress, water and the other natural resources of the world have become polluted and unsafe for use. Reverse osmosis is one of today’s important methods for processing water to make it clean and safe for use.
Osmosis and reverse osmosis
First, what is osmosis? Osmosis is a natural process where water of different concentrations and separated by a semi-permeable membrane will cause the water from the diluted solution to move into the more concentrated solution.
This is because this semi-permeable membrane (the osmotic membrane) allows only water to pass through and restricts most other elements.
In reverse osmosis, the opposite happens. Applying pressure, water from the more concentrated solution is forced out through the membrane into another container, in effect straining it from impurities. This is the process commonly used today to purify water.
The basis of the whole system is the semi-permeable membrane that acts as a strainer. This membrane is permeable only to water molecules. As the concentrated water (water with dissolved and solid particles of minerals, salts, etc.) is forced through the membrane, only water molecules can pass through the pores.
The most common artificial membranes used today are made from cellulose acetate, cellulose triacetate or aromatic polyamide resins. These are tough to withstand the high water pressures and can last for about two or three years before replacement.
These impurities that cannot pass through the membrane are composed of various mineral salts, heavy metals, other matter particulates, organic molecules, some bacteria, and even some viruses. These are rejected by the membrane based on their molecular or atomic weights.
The membrane removes these salts and other dissolved mineral elements, as well as other impurities like sugar, proteins, dyes, nitrates, and pesticides. All things considered, this improves the taste, color and other natural properties of water.
The process is also known to remove particles as small as ions or charged atoms. Today, it is also used to purify other fluids such as ethanol and glycol which passes through a membrane that rejects other ions and contaminants from passing through.
The most common force used in the procedure is pressure from pumps. The higher the pressure, the bigger the driving force.
In the old mechanical filter systems such as the standard carbon filtration, total dissolved solids (called TDS) cannot be removed. High concentration of TDS usually gives the water an objectionable taste, causes scale buildup in utensils and equipments, and causes poor quality in beverages and ice-making.
According to studies, reverse osmosis removes 95% to 99% of the total dissolved solids in contaminated water. Right now, it is considered one of the best technologies in producing clean water free from TDS and other contaminants and is therefore safe for human consumption.
Some problems
There are some problems, of course, that must be solved while using this system. The amount of contaminants, the size and type of equipment used and the amount of pressure are some factors that contribute to the buildup of materials on the membrane, making it ineffective.
Moreover, chlorine in the water causes damage to some membranes. To prevent this, manufacturers install a carbon pre-filter to reduce the chlorine, as well as sediment pre-filters to prevent other fine particles to clog the membrane. Which, of course, are added costs.
On the whole, however, reverse osmosis is the leading water filtration system used by homes and many industries. So far, it had justified its costs and surpasses expectations from health authorities with regards to safety and cleanliness.
Understanding Reverse Osmosis
You probably have heard reverse process as a water purifying process for many times now. You should know that it is a very important and very effective way of purifying water. In general, the process is used not just in residential and commercial water filtration.
Reverse osmosis is the top method used when desalinating seawater so it could be converted into a form that could be commercially drank and consumed by people. In many industries, the process is also used when purifying liquids, wherein water serves as the undesirable impurity that should be taken out (like in the case of ethanol).
To better understand the process, it would be appropriate to review osmosis. Back in the days when you were studying general science, you have discovered that there is diffusion to balance things out. Diffusion happens in the air, while osmosis on water or liquid. The idea is that through osmosis, molecules in water would move to balance two water bodies with different concentration.
For example, if a cell lack concentration of a substance that is abundant in its external, osmosis would work so that molecules from the outside would pass through cell’s semi-permeable membrane to enter the cell. The process goes on until concentration on both the outside and inside of the cell is equal.
Through the years, science has also discovered that the natural process of osmosis could be effectively slowed, stopped, prevented, and even reversed. Reversal of the osmosis process could be possible only if there would be adequate pressure to be applied to the involved membrane coming from the more concentrated side. In some instances, the reverse osmosis is referred to or described as a process of filtration, especially when it is used to purify water.
There is a need to force the solvent in a region where there is higher concentration into getting through the semi-permeable membrane so that it could transfer without much hassle into the region of lower solute concentration. This force is often called osmotic pressure. Membranes used have denser barrier layer to facilitate better separation. Usually, such membranes and designed specifically to allow passage of water only and prevent passing of solutes like in the case of salt ions in seawater desalination. In general, much higher pressure is applied when doing reverse osmosis to purify salt water than used to purify brackish or fresh water.
Reverse osmosis as a water purification process has gotten so popular that many households these days are investing in setups and devices to facilitate the process. Household reverse osmosis devices or units are using much water due to low back pressure.
Though such systems are economical and are convenient, experts assert that they are not as effective as intended. Water recovered is only at 5% to 15%, so the household may need to use more water to be able to fill the desired and required amount. Many people could attest that such devices are yet to be improved to bolster practicality for household use.
The process of reverse osmosis is very promising. But scientists and investors are still underway to discover and develop more effective and efficient ways to prompt and facilitate the process. In the end, this could be a hope to be used and applied in areas where pure and safe drinking water is much of a problem.
Reverse osmosis is the top method used when desalinating seawater so it could be converted into a form that could be commercially drank and consumed by people. In many industries, the process is also used when purifying liquids, wherein water serves as the undesirable impurity that should be taken out (like in the case of ethanol).
To better understand the process, it would be appropriate to review osmosis. Back in the days when you were studying general science, you have discovered that there is diffusion to balance things out. Diffusion happens in the air, while osmosis on water or liquid. The idea is that through osmosis, molecules in water would move to balance two water bodies with different concentration.
For example, if a cell lack concentration of a substance that is abundant in its external, osmosis would work so that molecules from the outside would pass through cell’s semi-permeable membrane to enter the cell. The process goes on until concentration on both the outside and inside of the cell is equal.
Through the years, science has also discovered that the natural process of osmosis could be effectively slowed, stopped, prevented, and even reversed. Reversal of the osmosis process could be possible only if there would be adequate pressure to be applied to the involved membrane coming from the more concentrated side. In some instances, the reverse osmosis is referred to or described as a process of filtration, especially when it is used to purify water.
There is a need to force the solvent in a region where there is higher concentration into getting through the semi-permeable membrane so that it could transfer without much hassle into the region of lower solute concentration. This force is often called osmotic pressure. Membranes used have denser barrier layer to facilitate better separation. Usually, such membranes and designed specifically to allow passage of water only and prevent passing of solutes like in the case of salt ions in seawater desalination. In general, much higher pressure is applied when doing reverse osmosis to purify salt water than used to purify brackish or fresh water.
Reverse osmosis as a water purification process has gotten so popular that many households these days are investing in setups and devices to facilitate the process. Household reverse osmosis devices or units are using much water due to low back pressure.
Though such systems are economical and are convenient, experts assert that they are not as effective as intended. Water recovered is only at 5% to 15%, so the household may need to use more water to be able to fill the desired and required amount. Many people could attest that such devices are yet to be improved to bolster practicality for household use.
The process of reverse osmosis is very promising. But scientists and investors are still underway to discover and develop more effective and efficient ways to prompt and facilitate the process. In the end, this could be a hope to be used and applied in areas where pure and safe drinking water is much of a problem.
The Uses Of Reverse Osmosis
If necessity is the mother of invention, then, in essence, reverse osmosis is truly a daughter of necessity. It was initially developed by the U.S. Navy to produce drinking water through desalination (getting the salt out of sea water) for submarine crews. Today, the uses of reverse osmosis have branched out to other areas, including home use and uses in other industries.
Basically, reverse osmosis (often referred to as R/O) is a filtration technology that forces water into passing through a semi-porous membrane that filters out unwanted chemicals and solids. In desalination, the water is rid of salt and can be drunk.
In the version adapted for home use, R/O units are fitted with carbon and other mechanical filtration devices to produce highly purified water that tastes good.
The R/O process
Scientists essentially copied what Nature had been doing all the time, with a little modification by way of reversing the process. In Nature, osmosis is the natural process of water seeping through a semi-porous membrane into a solution that is of higher consistency.
In R/O, scientists force higher consistency water solutions (sea water, other water with dissolved minerals and other solids, etc.) through a membrane that strains out all these other non-essentials to produce pure water.
The goal is to provide fresh recycled water for human consumption, especially in progressive and highly-industrialized areas where the use of resources is excessive. Water is one vital resource that’s precariously getting short.
The R/O process is also used in other areas of industry. It is used to squeeze out water from ethanol and glycol so that these can be purified and used for fuel. In others, food concentrates (tomato juice, apple juice) are thickened by squeezing out the extra water.
Still in other industries, the process is also used to harvest dissolved metals (copper, nickel, chromium) and other particulates in liquids for use as metals plating or in the finishing processes.
Development
The research for R/O process began sometime in the 50s when a UCLA scientist first developed “artificial simulation bio selection osmosis membrane”. It was the first time an artificial membrane mimics the natural osmotic process and replicated in a laboratory.
In 1960, the first acetic acid fiber was used as R/O membrane and it was a breakthrough. To date, the U.S. government spent $4 billion in the development of the technique.
At that time, it replaced the only (and very expensive) method of fresh water production from sea water which was distillation.
NASA funded the costs of development to solve the drinking water consumption problems in space. Today, the R/O process is used to purify and recycle used water. In aircraft carriers and submarines, all the fresh water supply is taken from purified sea water.
Today, a home water system using the R/O process can provide 285 liters of drinking water, enough to fulfill the needs of a small office or a regular household.
Nowadays, the water purification systems for home use have three pre-filters. This first stage filters are designed to remove sediments and other solids from the water. The first stage activated carbon filter is used to remove organics, chlorine, and odors.
The osmotic membrane then removes most of the dissolved impurities (metals, chemicals, etc.) in the water. Finally, the last activated carbon filter is used to remove the remaining residue contaminants after the R/O membrane.
Care should be taken to replace old filters and other worn parts. This will ensure that the continued use of your reverse osmosis water filtration system is always in top condition.
Basically, reverse osmosis (often referred to as R/O) is a filtration technology that forces water into passing through a semi-porous membrane that filters out unwanted chemicals and solids. In desalination, the water is rid of salt and can be drunk.
In the version adapted for home use, R/O units are fitted with carbon and other mechanical filtration devices to produce highly purified water that tastes good.
The R/O process
Scientists essentially copied what Nature had been doing all the time, with a little modification by way of reversing the process. In Nature, osmosis is the natural process of water seeping through a semi-porous membrane into a solution that is of higher consistency.
In R/O, scientists force higher consistency water solutions (sea water, other water with dissolved minerals and other solids, etc.) through a membrane that strains out all these other non-essentials to produce pure water.
The goal is to provide fresh recycled water for human consumption, especially in progressive and highly-industrialized areas where the use of resources is excessive. Water is one vital resource that’s precariously getting short.
The R/O process is also used in other areas of industry. It is used to squeeze out water from ethanol and glycol so that these can be purified and used for fuel. In others, food concentrates (tomato juice, apple juice) are thickened by squeezing out the extra water.
Still in other industries, the process is also used to harvest dissolved metals (copper, nickel, chromium) and other particulates in liquids for use as metals plating or in the finishing processes.
Development
The research for R/O process began sometime in the 50s when a UCLA scientist first developed “artificial simulation bio selection osmosis membrane”. It was the first time an artificial membrane mimics the natural osmotic process and replicated in a laboratory.
In 1960, the first acetic acid fiber was used as R/O membrane and it was a breakthrough. To date, the U.S. government spent $4 billion in the development of the technique.
At that time, it replaced the only (and very expensive) method of fresh water production from sea water which was distillation.
NASA funded the costs of development to solve the drinking water consumption problems in space. Today, the R/O process is used to purify and recycle used water. In aircraft carriers and submarines, all the fresh water supply is taken from purified sea water.
Today, a home water system using the R/O process can provide 285 liters of drinking water, enough to fulfill the needs of a small office or a regular household.
Nowadays, the water purification systems for home use have three pre-filters. This first stage filters are designed to remove sediments and other solids from the water. The first stage activated carbon filter is used to remove organics, chlorine, and odors.
The osmotic membrane then removes most of the dissolved impurities (metals, chemicals, etc.) in the water. Finally, the last activated carbon filter is used to remove the remaining residue contaminants after the R/O membrane.
Care should be taken to replace old filters and other worn parts. This will ensure that the continued use of your reverse osmosis water filtration system is always in top condition.
The Pros And Cons Of Reverse Osmosis
Reverse osmosis (also called R/O) is one of today’s very timely technological breakthroughs: producing fresh, clear water from contaminated water or those with impurities that cannot be taken out by even the finest filters. Of course, as in all things, there are pros and cons of the idea of reverse osmosis.
Basically, the process is simply forcing contaminated water through a semi-porous membrane and filtering out organic compounds such as salts and other minerals, chemicals, dyes, sugar, many other TDS (total dissolved solids) thereby producing fresh and clean water ready for use again.
Using the reverse process of the natural osmosis, R/O technology is now used in homes and offices, as well as by big industries. So far, this process is now the world’s leading technology in the treatment of contaminated water and makes it clean and safe for human use again.
Advantages
Because it eliminates 95 to 99% of TDS (total dissolved solids), reverse osmosis is the best technology today for getting clean water free of contaminants.
R/O systems remove salt, dissolved minerals, nitrates, pesticides, metals, and microorganisms from the water. The system is also effective in treating water for health contaminants like asbestos, arsenic, some pesticides, fluoride, lead, mercury and radium. Removing them gives back the sparkling appearance and taste of water.
Today, R/O systems provide such diverse uses as drinking water, rinse water, car wash water reclamation, pharmaceutical production, ice-making, laboratory and other biomedical applications, farming, and providing clean water to so many other industries that use it.
In fact, one pundit says R/O provides water for the kitchen counter in a private home as well as water for use in space.
What makes it also ideal is the fact that installation costs are low, has very minimal use of chemicals, and with the construction using low-maintenance, non-metallic materials. The technology is also used right now in removing organic and inorganic contaminants from water.
Disadvantages
The R/O process, however, have some several downsides.
Despite their effectiveness, the R/O membranes are susceptible to loss of function. Due to the size, shape, and the amount of contaminants present, a buildup of materials might disable the membrane’s functions. Also, the widely-used disinfectant chlorine can attack the membrane.
The small pores of the membrane block particles of large molecules but some pesticides and chlorine are molecularly smaller than water and can pass through. This is why carbon filters must be used as supplement to the R/O process because it can remove chlorine in the water.
Another drawback to the R/O process in purifying water is the fact that it blocks and removes healthy, naturally-occurring minerals in the water. These trace minerals helps provide the natural taste of water and they may be of vital use to the body.
The process wastes a large portion of water, around two to three gallons, for every gallon of purified water it produces. Moreover, the technology needs a reliable energy source and a good spare parts inventory (if it is foreign-made).
The process is slow compared to other water treatment alternatives, requiring a holding tank so that supply is assured during peak use.
The membranes used in R/O are sensitive to abuse. The feedwater usually needs pre-treatment to remove solid particulates. Presence of particulates cuts short the life span of the membranes.
However one may look at the pros and cons of reverse osmosis, one may conclude that until a better, foolproof technology of water treatment comes around, reverse osmosis is still the best technique there is today.
Basically, the process is simply forcing contaminated water through a semi-porous membrane and filtering out organic compounds such as salts and other minerals, chemicals, dyes, sugar, many other TDS (total dissolved solids) thereby producing fresh and clean water ready for use again.
Using the reverse process of the natural osmosis, R/O technology is now used in homes and offices, as well as by big industries. So far, this process is now the world’s leading technology in the treatment of contaminated water and makes it clean and safe for human use again.
Advantages
Because it eliminates 95 to 99% of TDS (total dissolved solids), reverse osmosis is the best technology today for getting clean water free of contaminants.
R/O systems remove salt, dissolved minerals, nitrates, pesticides, metals, and microorganisms from the water. The system is also effective in treating water for health contaminants like asbestos, arsenic, some pesticides, fluoride, lead, mercury and radium. Removing them gives back the sparkling appearance and taste of water.
Today, R/O systems provide such diverse uses as drinking water, rinse water, car wash water reclamation, pharmaceutical production, ice-making, laboratory and other biomedical applications, farming, and providing clean water to so many other industries that use it.
In fact, one pundit says R/O provides water for the kitchen counter in a private home as well as water for use in space.
What makes it also ideal is the fact that installation costs are low, has very minimal use of chemicals, and with the construction using low-maintenance, non-metallic materials. The technology is also used right now in removing organic and inorganic contaminants from water.
Disadvantages
The R/O process, however, have some several downsides.
Despite their effectiveness, the R/O membranes are susceptible to loss of function. Due to the size, shape, and the amount of contaminants present, a buildup of materials might disable the membrane’s functions. Also, the widely-used disinfectant chlorine can attack the membrane.
The small pores of the membrane block particles of large molecules but some pesticides and chlorine are molecularly smaller than water and can pass through. This is why carbon filters must be used as supplement to the R/O process because it can remove chlorine in the water.
Another drawback to the R/O process in purifying water is the fact that it blocks and removes healthy, naturally-occurring minerals in the water. These trace minerals helps provide the natural taste of water and they may be of vital use to the body.
The process wastes a large portion of water, around two to three gallons, for every gallon of purified water it produces. Moreover, the technology needs a reliable energy source and a good spare parts inventory (if it is foreign-made).
The process is slow compared to other water treatment alternatives, requiring a holding tank so that supply is assured during peak use.
The membranes used in R/O are sensitive to abuse. The feedwater usually needs pre-treatment to remove solid particulates. Presence of particulates cuts short the life span of the membranes.
However one may look at the pros and cons of reverse osmosis, one may conclude that until a better, foolproof technology of water treatment comes around, reverse osmosis is still the best technique there is today.
The Many Applications Of Reverse Osmosis
The discovery and development of reverse osmosis is one of today’s most useful technological breakthroughs. Since the early 50s, it had served its primary purpose of providing safe purified water where it had not been available before. The following are the many other applications of reverse osmosis.
Drinking water
All over the world, the technology of reverse osmosis in providing safe drinking water in households is now common both for homes and big establishments.
In the U.S. military where it was first developed, R.O.W.P.U.s (Reverse Osmosis Purification Units) produce 12,000 to 60,000 gallons of water for 1,000 to 6,000 soldiers.
The purified water is also safe from NBC (nuclear/biological/chemical agents) after the reverse osmosis process.
wastewater
In big cities and progressive areas, collected rainwater is purified with reverse osmosis and used for irrigation of landscapes and industrial cooling.
For big power plants, reverse osmosis is used to remove the minerals from water used in the boilers. The water has to be pure and free from minerals that leave deposits on the machinery and cause corrosion and other damages.
In Singapore, the authorities had announced their intention to use reverse osmosis to treat their wastewater before discharging them back into the reservoirs.
Food industry
Reverse osmosis is used in the concentration (thickening) of food liquids (orange juice, tomato juice) that lose their nutritional values if processed with heat.
It is also used in the dairy industry in the production of whey protein powder and the concentration of milk to reduce shipping and storage costs.
It is already used by the wine industry, although it had been frowned before. Now, reverse osmosis machines are used by many wineries in France, even by well-known companies. The machines were used to concentrate the grape juices, and removing taints as acetic acid, smoke, and the removal of alcohol in some.
In the 70s, maple syrup producers began using reverse osmosis process. They were used to remove excess water from the raw maple sap before boiling. The practice removes around 80% of water, saving them in energy consumption because it reduced boiling time of the syrup.
Car wash
In places where there is ‘hard water’, enterprising car wash entrepreneurs employ the use of reverse osmosis machines.
Hard water causes water spotting on vehicles. Reverse osmosis removes the heavy minerals in their original water. Reverse osmosis also reduces demands from customers for drying their vehicles which adds costs.
Reef aquariums
Many reef aquarium keepers are now using reverse osmosis systems to produce water for their artificial mix of seawater. They found that ordinary tap water often contains excessive amounts of chlorine, chloramines, heavy metals, and many other chemicals that are bad for the reef environment in their aquariums. Other contaminants such as nitrogen compounds and phosphates lead to excessive algae growth.
Today, reef aquarium owners use the combination of reverse osmosis machines and deionization because of low ownership costs and minimal running costs.
Desalination
In places where there is limited water, authorities use reverse osmosis technology to desalinate the sea for their drinking water. In the Middle East especially in Saudi Arabia, large reverse osmosis and multistage flash desalination plants are in harness. The energy requirements are large, but they are offset by the fact that these countries are oil-producers.
So far, these are just some of the many applications of reverse osmosis, although there had been other small uses as well using the principle of the process (in hydrogen production, organics removal, etc). It will not be a surprise if more uses will be added to this list.
Drinking water
All over the world, the technology of reverse osmosis in providing safe drinking water in households is now common both for homes and big establishments.
In the U.S. military where it was first developed, R.O.W.P.U.s (Reverse Osmosis Purification Units) produce 12,000 to 60,000 gallons of water for 1,000 to 6,000 soldiers.
The purified water is also safe from NBC (nuclear/biological/chemical agents) after the reverse osmosis process.
wastewater
In big cities and progressive areas, collected rainwater is purified with reverse osmosis and used for irrigation of landscapes and industrial cooling.
For big power plants, reverse osmosis is used to remove the minerals from water used in the boilers. The water has to be pure and free from minerals that leave deposits on the machinery and cause corrosion and other damages.
In Singapore, the authorities had announced their intention to use reverse osmosis to treat their wastewater before discharging them back into the reservoirs.
Food industry
Reverse osmosis is used in the concentration (thickening) of food liquids (orange juice, tomato juice) that lose their nutritional values if processed with heat.
It is also used in the dairy industry in the production of whey protein powder and the concentration of milk to reduce shipping and storage costs.
It is already used by the wine industry, although it had been frowned before. Now, reverse osmosis machines are used by many wineries in France, even by well-known companies. The machines were used to concentrate the grape juices, and removing taints as acetic acid, smoke, and the removal of alcohol in some.
In the 70s, maple syrup producers began using reverse osmosis process. They were used to remove excess water from the raw maple sap before boiling. The practice removes around 80% of water, saving them in energy consumption because it reduced boiling time of the syrup.
Car wash
In places where there is ‘hard water’, enterprising car wash entrepreneurs employ the use of reverse osmosis machines.
Hard water causes water spotting on vehicles. Reverse osmosis removes the heavy minerals in their original water. Reverse osmosis also reduces demands from customers for drying their vehicles which adds costs.
Reef aquariums
Many reef aquarium keepers are now using reverse osmosis systems to produce water for their artificial mix of seawater. They found that ordinary tap water often contains excessive amounts of chlorine, chloramines, heavy metals, and many other chemicals that are bad for the reef environment in their aquariums. Other contaminants such as nitrogen compounds and phosphates lead to excessive algae growth.
Today, reef aquarium owners use the combination of reverse osmosis machines and deionization because of low ownership costs and minimal running costs.
Desalination
In places where there is limited water, authorities use reverse osmosis technology to desalinate the sea for their drinking water. In the Middle East especially in Saudi Arabia, large reverse osmosis and multistage flash desalination plants are in harness. The energy requirements are large, but they are offset by the fact that these countries are oil-producers.
So far, these are just some of the many applications of reverse osmosis, although there had been other small uses as well using the principle of the process (in hydrogen production, organics removal, etc). It will not be a surprise if more uses will be added to this list.
Singapore Leads Efforts to Further Improve Reverse Osmosis Technology
It is estimated that in at least 15 years, about half of the global population would have reduced or no access at all to drinking water. Singapore is one of the countries that are expected to be hit severely by further depletion of potable drinking water supplies. That is why the national government is actively working to boost production of drinking water supply in a more energy efficient and affordable way. It is eyeing more effective and cheaper approaches to reverse osmosis.
Within the state-country’s busy center is a building that houses a test laboratory, which is being groomed to emerge as a major and significant player in the local water business. ‘Water Hub’ is a two-year old facility that has been testing and using most advanced available technologies and techniques for water reuse and reclamation. It has been establishing itself as a significant frontrunner in bolstering international research initiatives for water purification through reverse osmosis.
For the past decades, the Singaporean government has been aggressively finding sustainable and more effective means of water treatment to be able to provide safe and potable water supply to its major industries and about 4.8 million people in its territory. The realization of depleting water resource has prompted Singapore to initiate competition and efforts to be able to find and secure the most energy-efficient and cost-effective way of converting ordinary seawater into safe and useful drinking water.
Water Hub is funded and supported by numerous local firms and organizations. Among those companies is Siemens Water Technologies. The firm has won the ‘Singapore Innovative Technology Challenge’ in 2008 for its new seawater desalination technique. The company’s process is able to lower energy consumed for reverse osmosis by up to 90%. The technology is facilitated through channeling seawater for treatment through a reliable electric field rather than the conventional energy-intensive vaporizing and heating processes.
In traditional reverse osmosis, salt in water is effectively filtered out via porous membranes that could retain about 99.7% of salt in seawater. This way, safer and more potable drinking water is produced without any need or requirement for post-treatment. Through the years, many companies and governments that use the process have been complaining about the usually high costs and tediousness of performing reverse osmosis. In fact, world organization Water Aid has excluded the process in its list or recommended water purification techniques because reverse osmosis is usually too expensive, especially when conducted in a massive scale.
Singapore is one of the countries that are acting aggressively to any water supply problem in the future long before such setbacks occur. The national government hopes its intensive research efforts could help it lead a global effort is eliminating possible safe and potable water supply depletion in the future. It also recognizes the fact that there is a need to find cheaper and more efficient methods for reverse osmosis so that developing countries could also reap the benefits of such technology.
Researchers at Water Hub are also actively aiming to patent a green technology that could pave the way for alternative sources of energy. The group believes that aside from making reverse osmosis more viable and useful, other related measures should be discovered and developed to help make the world a better and safer place to live in.
Within the state-country’s busy center is a building that houses a test laboratory, which is being groomed to emerge as a major and significant player in the local water business. ‘Water Hub’ is a two-year old facility that has been testing and using most advanced available technologies and techniques for water reuse and reclamation. It has been establishing itself as a significant frontrunner in bolstering international research initiatives for water purification through reverse osmosis.
For the past decades, the Singaporean government has been aggressively finding sustainable and more effective means of water treatment to be able to provide safe and potable water supply to its major industries and about 4.8 million people in its territory. The realization of depleting water resource has prompted Singapore to initiate competition and efforts to be able to find and secure the most energy-efficient and cost-effective way of converting ordinary seawater into safe and useful drinking water.
Water Hub is funded and supported by numerous local firms and organizations. Among those companies is Siemens Water Technologies. The firm has won the ‘Singapore Innovative Technology Challenge’ in 2008 for its new seawater desalination technique. The company’s process is able to lower energy consumed for reverse osmosis by up to 90%. The technology is facilitated through channeling seawater for treatment through a reliable electric field rather than the conventional energy-intensive vaporizing and heating processes.
In traditional reverse osmosis, salt in water is effectively filtered out via porous membranes that could retain about 99.7% of salt in seawater. This way, safer and more potable drinking water is produced without any need or requirement for post-treatment. Through the years, many companies and governments that use the process have been complaining about the usually high costs and tediousness of performing reverse osmosis. In fact, world organization Water Aid has excluded the process in its list or recommended water purification techniques because reverse osmosis is usually too expensive, especially when conducted in a massive scale.
Singapore is one of the countries that are acting aggressively to any water supply problem in the future long before such setbacks occur. The national government hopes its intensive research efforts could help it lead a global effort is eliminating possible safe and potable water supply depletion in the future. It also recognizes the fact that there is a need to find cheaper and more efficient methods for reverse osmosis so that developing countries could also reap the benefits of such technology.
Researchers at Water Hub are also actively aiming to patent a green technology that could pave the way for alternative sources of energy. The group believes that aside from making reverse osmosis more viable and useful, other related measures should be discovered and developed to help make the world a better and safer place to live in.
Review of Osmosis to Explain Reverse Osmosis
Have you heard about reverse osmosis? It should truly be a useful and advantageous process of liquid purification because more and more industries are using it. Around the world, the importance of reverse osmosis is also becoming more emphasized. As many experts say, the process holds a lot of potential. It could be a system that could eventually bring about aid and redemption. But what exactly is it? Why is it truly effective? Could it be done using improvised setups? How does it work?
It would just be impossible to understand reverse osmosis without first understanding normal osmosis, where it is derived from. As you could infer, reverse osmosis is only an opposite take of the usual process of osmosis. The dictionary defines osmosis as a natural movement of solvent molecules through semi-permeable membranes so that they could transfer into the side where there is there is lower concentration of solution. In the process, concentration on different sides is equalized so that in the end, there would be no difference on concentration. Osmosis naturally stops the moment such equality of concentration is achieved.
Semi-permeable membranes are membranes that are serving as boundaries between two regions. They are structures where molecules could pass through. Example is a saran wrap, which looks impermeable but is actually permeable. Other good examples are cell walls and intestines. There are very small pores that could allow entry of very miniscule molecules of water. Such pores are too small that they do not allow passage of other liquid molecules and other bodies. Gore-tex fabric could also be an example.
In reality, osmosis is the very same reason why consuming or drinking salty water is very dangerous. Drinking seawater or ocean water could kill anyone, especially if there is much volume consumed. When you do so, the salty water would be temporarily stored into the stomach. Natural osmotic pressure would work and begin drawing water from other parts of the body so that your body would be able to dilute the amount of salt molecules that are stored in the stomach. When the process goes on continuously, you would eventually dehydrate, which could lead to death. It could take only a few minutes or hours for the body to complete the process. This is one of the reasons why many people who drown in sea die.
Reverse osmosis is the exact opposite of the natural osmosis process. The idea is for the semi-permeable membrane to serve as a fine filter that would create safe and potable drinking water out of the contaminated water. This process could very much be illustrated through desalination. Salty water is stored in one side of a membrane, while the less salty is on the other. Pressure would be applied to stop and later reverse the natural osmotic process. Usually, this setup would require much pressure and would take a long time to complete. But there is no doubt that it would truly and effectively work.
Reverse osmosis is now widely used as a process of purifying water. It is also the same concept used in dialysis. Many industries are also starting to use reverse osmosis in their operations. Even disinfection activities could now use this helpful and useful process.
There is no doubt that in the future, many devices that facilitate the process would be more widely available for any household to use.
It would just be impossible to understand reverse osmosis without first understanding normal osmosis, where it is derived from. As you could infer, reverse osmosis is only an opposite take of the usual process of osmosis. The dictionary defines osmosis as a natural movement of solvent molecules through semi-permeable membranes so that they could transfer into the side where there is there is lower concentration of solution. In the process, concentration on different sides is equalized so that in the end, there would be no difference on concentration. Osmosis naturally stops the moment such equality of concentration is achieved.
Semi-permeable membranes are membranes that are serving as boundaries between two regions. They are structures where molecules could pass through. Example is a saran wrap, which looks impermeable but is actually permeable. Other good examples are cell walls and intestines. There are very small pores that could allow entry of very miniscule molecules of water. Such pores are too small that they do not allow passage of other liquid molecules and other bodies. Gore-tex fabric could also be an example.
In reality, osmosis is the very same reason why consuming or drinking salty water is very dangerous. Drinking seawater or ocean water could kill anyone, especially if there is much volume consumed. When you do so, the salty water would be temporarily stored into the stomach. Natural osmotic pressure would work and begin drawing water from other parts of the body so that your body would be able to dilute the amount of salt molecules that are stored in the stomach. When the process goes on continuously, you would eventually dehydrate, which could lead to death. It could take only a few minutes or hours for the body to complete the process. This is one of the reasons why many people who drown in sea die.
Reverse osmosis is the exact opposite of the natural osmosis process. The idea is for the semi-permeable membrane to serve as a fine filter that would create safe and potable drinking water out of the contaminated water. This process could very much be illustrated through desalination. Salty water is stored in one side of a membrane, while the less salty is on the other. Pressure would be applied to stop and later reverse the natural osmotic process. Usually, this setup would require much pressure and would take a long time to complete. But there is no doubt that it would truly and effectively work.
Reverse osmosis is now widely used as a process of purifying water. It is also the same concept used in dialysis. Many industries are also starting to use reverse osmosis in their operations. Even disinfection activities could now use this helpful and useful process.
There is no doubt that in the future, many devices that facilitate the process would be more widely available for any household to use.
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