What is reverse osmosis?
- Date: 2007-04-02 - Word Count: 778
Share This!
Reverse osmosis is a very practical and common process nowadays, and people use it to accomplish a variety of practical purposes, such as the purification of water for drinking, washing cars, in the food industry, for the producing of maple syrup and the production of hydrogen. With reverse osmosis, it is possible for people to collect the pure liquid they need so much, the basis for the activities already enumerated. This is what we will call a pure solvent. Initially, this solvent comes as an element of an impure solution. People needed to find a way of separating it from this solution. They found the most appropriate answer with reverse osmosis.
With the help of a system that uses this principle of separation, the solution passes through a filter. The solute, i.e. the elements that turn the solvent impure (the solvent dissolves these elements), remains in the filter. Once the separation takes place, the solvent travels across the filter, while safely leaving behind all impure and potentially harmful substances. Pressure is the one responsible for this. It operates with the help of a certain type of layer. This layer places an additional amount of pressure on particularly impure parts in the solution (where the highest amounts of solute establish). The pressure forces the liquid to separate into pure solvent and solute. The layer used to apply the pressure is half-absorbent, i.e. it will allow the solvent go through it, but it will stop the solute.
Anyone who wants to have water purification systems at home can use RO systems. People who have aquariums, but also universities and hospitals, public aquariums, various industrial applications, all of these users can benefit from using them. With enough pressure on the half-absorbent layer, forced upon it from the solute region, people can find applications for a process of slowed down, stopped or reversed osmosis. The pressure used by RO systems is very high, usually 2-14 bar for fresh, brackish water and 40-70 bar for seawater, because seawater has a natural osmosis pressure of around 24 bars. The process of removing the salt from seawater in order to obtain fresh water identifies as desalination and people have been widely using it since the early 1970s.
The state of equilibrium is the state in which the concentration in all the different areas of the resulting mixture is the same. With the help of a process called diffusion, we can achieve this state of equilibrium. If you ask yourself why I would buy a RO system, the answer is very simple. If you care about your own health and safety, and about that of your family, you will make sure that the water you and they drink its safe and pure. In addition, most RO systems have automatically shut down systems, which do not allow the wasting of water; they can treat tap water as well as well water and hard water.
The advantages of having a RO system is that you cut down on the costs by not buying bottled water any longer. Moreover, you do not need to buy fabric softeners and your clothes are safe. Usually doctors and dieticians recommend that we do not drink tap water because it contains unwanted substances, and that filtered water is 99% free of those damaging substances. In addition, hard water can damage your hair and skin, so it is best to use filtered water even for hygiene.
The portable reverse osmosis water processors sold for personal use in your home are gravity powered, so they do not need a water pump or electricity. The process is similar to the one of the coffee-maker filter, and the pressure of the gravity is the one that is draining the water through the filters. One filter lasts for about seven years before it needs replacement. The RO water processors are very useful to people who live in rural areas away from the city's water pipes, because it is easy to use and they can filter river or ocean water themselves.
In the food industry, reverse osmosis is useful in concentrating food liquids, such as fruit juices, because it is more economical than the conventional heat-treatment processes. A couple of the most appreciated benefits of this process are the cost-effective operations it needs and the possibility of leaving heat-sensitive substances untouched by heat-treatment operations. In this manner, we can spare the "life" of useful proteins and enzymes.
This process is also useful in the dairy industry. How do you think they can obtain in a cost-effective manner the so much needed whey protein powders? Having such wide applications, we have grown attached to this process without even realizing its importance.
With the help of a system that uses this principle of separation, the solution passes through a filter. The solute, i.e. the elements that turn the solvent impure (the solvent dissolves these elements), remains in the filter. Once the separation takes place, the solvent travels across the filter, while safely leaving behind all impure and potentially harmful substances. Pressure is the one responsible for this. It operates with the help of a certain type of layer. This layer places an additional amount of pressure on particularly impure parts in the solution (where the highest amounts of solute establish). The pressure forces the liquid to separate into pure solvent and solute. The layer used to apply the pressure is half-absorbent, i.e. it will allow the solvent go through it, but it will stop the solute.
Anyone who wants to have water purification systems at home can use RO systems. People who have aquariums, but also universities and hospitals, public aquariums, various industrial applications, all of these users can benefit from using them. With enough pressure on the half-absorbent layer, forced upon it from the solute region, people can find applications for a process of slowed down, stopped or reversed osmosis. The pressure used by RO systems is very high, usually 2-14 bar for fresh, brackish water and 40-70 bar for seawater, because seawater has a natural osmosis pressure of around 24 bars. The process of removing the salt from seawater in order to obtain fresh water identifies as desalination and people have been widely using it since the early 1970s.
The state of equilibrium is the state in which the concentration in all the different areas of the resulting mixture is the same. With the help of a process called diffusion, we can achieve this state of equilibrium. If you ask yourself why I would buy a RO system, the answer is very simple. If you care about your own health and safety, and about that of your family, you will make sure that the water you and they drink its safe and pure. In addition, most RO systems have automatically shut down systems, which do not allow the wasting of water; they can treat tap water as well as well water and hard water.
The advantages of having a RO system is that you cut down on the costs by not buying bottled water any longer. Moreover, you do not need to buy fabric softeners and your clothes are safe. Usually doctors and dieticians recommend that we do not drink tap water because it contains unwanted substances, and that filtered water is 99% free of those damaging substances. In addition, hard water can damage your hair and skin, so it is best to use filtered water even for hygiene.
The portable reverse osmosis water processors sold for personal use in your home are gravity powered, so they do not need a water pump or electricity. The process is similar to the one of the coffee-maker filter, and the pressure of the gravity is the one that is draining the water through the filters. One filter lasts for about seven years before it needs replacement. The RO water processors are very useful to people who live in rural areas away from the city's water pipes, because it is easy to use and they can filter river or ocean water themselves.
In the food industry, reverse osmosis is useful in concentrating food liquids, such as fruit juices, because it is more economical than the conventional heat-treatment processes. A couple of the most appreciated benefits of this process are the cost-effective operations it needs and the possibility of leaving heat-sensitive substances untouched by heat-treatment operations. In this manner, we can spare the "life" of useful proteins and enzymes.
This process is also useful in the dairy industry. How do you think they can obtain in a cost-effective manner the so much needed whey protein powders? Having such wide applications, we have grown attached to this process without even realizing its importance.
Related Tags: ro, reverse osmosis, ro systems, osmotic pressure, ro water processor
Your Article Search Directory : Find in Articles
Recent articles in this category:
- Important Things to Know About an Assisted Living Residence in Texas
n assisted living residence is a facility designed for senior citizens or persons with disabilities - Understanding How the Probate Process Works
The probate process is required within the U.S. to settle estates of deceased persons. The time requ - Fun Ideas for the Family During the Christmas Holiday
The Yuletide season is one of the most awaited holidays of the year because it is the time for joy a - How To Find The Right Composite Decking Deck Builders
Another rising home improvement project homeowners are starting to do a lot more of is the composite - Every Home Should Have A Radiant Barrier
The most easy and successful home improvement project you can do to your House, would be to install - The Different Types Of Rain Gutters
When purchasing a house or planning to do improvements to a home, there is always one project that s - How To Get The Best Replacement Windows For Your Home
Installing replacement windows can be the single most important home improvement project you can do - Holiday Accommodation Gold Coast: Pointers For Selecting The Best
With a multitude of holiday accommodations in Gold Coast, choosing the one for yourself can be quite - Want Holiday Accommodation In Gold Coast Queensland? Get Online To Find The Best Deal In A Quick, Co
There are several ways to find holiday accommodation in Gold Coast. You may refer to travel guides t - Celebrate The Ten-days Festival Of Navratri.
Dasara known as Dussehra, Navaratri, Vijaya Dashami is a festival of triumph of GOOD over Evil. The
Most viewed articles in this category:
- Adoptees Need Support When Voicing Feelings about Birth Parents
"I feel like a mistake.""I'm not like them.""Where's my family?""Why can't I find a suitable career? - Progressive Cooking: All About 'cuisine'
The French are known for their interest in art and all that is fine. It therefore comes as no surpri - Moroccan Decor - Oh My! Make Your Home Shine With Moroccan Rugs and Tapestries.
It is said in Morocco that he who enters Fez with a rug will leave with a moneybag. This saying o - Online Criminal Background Checks-Importance & Ease
Have you ever thought your new neighbor looks like one of the pictures on the post office bulletin b - Installing A Burglar Alarm
Want to protect your home? Ready to install a burglar alarm? The popularity of the home burglar ala - Lowe's Backyard Playground Sets
Lowe's is an excellent first place to look for anyone who is looking for the best swing sets on the - How Could Short Term Health Insurance Help Me?
Short-term health insurance plans allow people to have health insurance for a limited amount of time - Watch Out For Those Stinky Skunks!
There are various species of skunks found throughout the United States including the striped, spotte - Asthma In Kids: An Increasing Epidemic
Many believe that the majority of asthma cases are confined to adults, but this is definitely an inc - Stairlifts For Riders Of Above Average Weight
A stairlift is an affordable device that is used to give people with limited mobility access to the