How a Reverse Osmosis Water Filtration System Works?

Answer 1

Water pollution is a problem that everyone faces. No longer limited to developing nations, water contamination problems also occur in industrialized nations as the result of pollution that seeps into groundwater supplies. Not only are these chemicals dangerous to a person’s health, but they can also give water a very unpleasant taste and aroma. To combat the issues associated with polluted water, many people are turning to water filtration systems in their homes to clean their drinking water. Reverse osmosis water filtration systems provide the best water purification abilities available for home use. Although they are quite expensive, reverse osmosis water filtration systems offer unparalleled performance for consumer use.

Osmosis is the chemical process in which molecules or particles move from an area of high concentration to an area of lower concentration by means of a semipermeable membrane. This membrane is a thin surface with microscopic perforations that allows very small particles to pass through while keeping larger molecules on the other side. As soon as equilibrium is met, a condition in which the concentration of particles on both sides of the membrane are the same, osmosis stops.

Reverse osmosis works in a similar way. In a reverse osmosis water filtration system, polluted water stands on one side of the semipermeable membrane. The water filtration system then exerts pressure onto the area containing the polluted water. This forces the polluted water through the semipermeable membrane. The semipermeable membrane acts like a filter and blocks out large molecules from passing through it. Fortunately, most harmful molecules and pathogens like viruses and bacteria are larger than water molecules, which are free to pass through. The newly purified water is then collected and stored for later use.

Home water filtration systems that are based on reverse osmosis use one of two kinds of semipermeable membranes. Thin film composites or TFC are the first kinds of membranes. The other kind of membrane used is called a Cellulose Triacetate (CTA) membrane. TFC membranes are generally better at filtering and purifying water because the size of the holes in the membrane is considerable smaller than CTA membranes. However, these membranes have one drawback. Exposure to chlorine can destroy them over time, meaning that they will have to be replaced frequently in order to maintain the quality of the water.