Reverse

Osmosis

ABSTRACT
Earth is the only planet, which has water in abundant and in ready
to use forms. So we have to consider only his water in our discussion. About
97% of water available on earth from the area under sea, remaining 3 % is
found in continent and in atmosphere. But more than 70% of this later portion
is locked in glaciers and icecaps.
The main reason for water shortage is uneven distribution of rain.
Many other reasons are also there. Most of the water available

is

being

polluted. So though there is water, we cannot use it as in the same form. For
using the water we have to do some chemical and physical operation on this
water. Bio-filtration is one of the operations for the purification of water. But
we have large part of water by desalinizing the seawater.

Seawater

has

salination value is 35000 ppm. But according to WHO for human consumption
salinity should be 500 ppm. In desalination process actual value is brought to
500.

C.O.E. & T., Akola

INTRODUCTION
Reverse osmosis is a physical process by which the dissolved
material in the solvent may be separated from that solvent with the assistance
of a semi-permeable membrane. By application of pressure in excess of the
natural osmotic pressure to the feed water the membrane will preferentially
allow the solvent (i.e. water) molecules to pass through and high percent of
electrolytes and dissolved organic materials will be rejected.
The raw water is pressure fed into a chamber containing semipermeable membrane. Only the pure water (known as permeate) can pass
through the membrane, while the impurities are rejected and ruin to waste
(known as concentrate). Reverse osmosis is operated as a continuous process.

WHAT IS OSMOSIS AND REVERSE OSMOSIS

It is the phenomenon of water flow through a semi-permeable
membrane that blocks the transport of salt or other solutes through it. Osmosis
is a fundamental effect in all-biological system. Osmosis is applied to water
purification and desalination, waste material treatment

and

many

other

chemical and biochemical laboratory and industrial process.

Reverse Osmosis :
When two water or other solvent volumes are separated by a semi
permeable membrane, water will flow from the side of low solute concentration
to side of high solute concentration. The flow may be stopped or even reversed,
by applying external pressure on the side of higher concentration. In such a
case the phenomenon is called reverse osmosis. RO is a-physical process.
If there are solute molecules only in one side of the system, then
the pressures that stop the flow is called osmotic pressure.

By the application

of pressure in excess of the natural osmotic pressure to the feed water the
membrane will preferentially allow the solvent molecules to pass through and
high percent of electrolytes and dissolved organic materials will be rejected.
The raw water is pressure fed into a chamber containing semi permeable
membrane. Only the pure water can pass through the semi permeable
membrane, while the impurities are rejected and run to waste. Reverse
is operated as a continuous process.

osmosis

PRINCIPLE OF REVERSE OSMOSIS

Reverse osmosis is a membrane process that act as a molecular
filter to remove 99% of all dissolved minerals, upto97% of most dissolved
organic matter, more than 98% of biological and colloidal matter can be
removed from water having concentration from 50 ppm to 60,000 ppm. Reverse
osmosis is a misnomer, since application of pressure lo overcome osmotic
pressure reverses only the flow of solvent but not the direction of flow of
solute.
As shown fig. (a), which depicts a semi permeable membrane
separating pure water and a salt solution is pure water passes in opposite
direction in process called natural osmosis. The driving force for the two flows
is the difference in chemical potential between the two solutions. The water
now continues until the pressure aerated by osmotic head equals-the osmotic
pressure of salt solution in fig. (b). The two liquids are in equilibrium, by
applying an external pressure; a salt solution in fig. (c) the flow of solvent may
be revised. The reversal of flow has given the process the name REVERSE
OSMOSIS.

OPERATION
Fill the overhead tank with saline tract water up to full capacity.
Open the outlet valves of overhead tank, multiple media filter and activated
carbon filter. Multiple media filter will remove the particles in the range 0.01 to
0.1mm. The activated carbon filter will remove the colour pigments, oderous
compounds and suspended particles in the range 0.001 to 0.01 mm from water.
Let the storage tank be filled up to its full capacity. Before starting
the pump make sure that. The valves are in V 1 opened, V2 closed, V1 opened, V4
closed position. NEVER run the jump with V 1 valve closed it may damage the
membrane. Valve V1 is by pass valve you can adjust the pressure required for
membrane with it.
Start the pump. Slowly start closing valve V1. Never close the
valve V1 fully. While closing V1 a situation will come when the water will start
coming from the outlet of module. At this point adjust this outflow rate of
8lit/hr. At this point stop closing V1. After some time ( 1-1 hr) you will get
the water require quality.

MEMBRANE
Definition :
Membrane can be defined as essentially as a barrier; which separates
two phases and restricts transport of various chemicals in a selective manner.
Membrane is a heart of every membrane process. The membrane
can be made of an inorganic or organic, synthetic or biological product.
Membrane of reverse osmosis system permeable for solvent and impermeable
for solute.
Material used for membranes in RO
Membranes are prepared from almost every available material. In
large-scale production commercial thermoplastic and cellulosics are primarily
used.
1. Cellulose acetate.
2. Aromatic polyamide
3. Polyamide
4. Polyphyenylene oxides

MODULES TYPES FOR REVERSE OSMOSIS SYSTEM

The several forms of Reverse Osmosis membranes are sold
packaged in devices to contain the steam pressure and to separate the feed and
reject stream from the permeate streams. The device; usually called a module,
is designed to control the feed stream-velocity and turbulence in order to reduce
concentration polarization.
There are three types of modules related to the types of membrane.
a) Spiral wound
b) Tubular
c) Plate and frame

a) Spiral wound module:

Pressure vessel can contain 1-6 membrane element in series,
resulting in low pressure vessel to produce water cost. Having productivity of 1530 Gal. Of product /sq. fit of membrane area. It is least prone to fouling through
leading edge of the first element is the most pronelocation for fouling, biological
degradation and wash out.
Large membrane areas are required for adhesive attaching membrane
back to back in each leaf. These areas are non productive. Flow appears to be well
distributed through out the membrane area. Product recovery for each element is
appox 5-15 % of feed flow rate.

Reverse
Osmosis

b) Tubular type module :

In this module the membrane system is parked in a shell and tube
arrangement similar to heat exchanger. The membranes are t ubular shaped with
diameter 0.7-2.5 cm up to 30 tubes can be incorporated in series in tubular type
In this module, each tubular membrane is held in

module.

stainless steel tube.

e two types of arrangements available, in first case

There ar

and permeate flow outside and in second case brine

brine is kept inside

the tube
meate flow inside the tubes.

is outside the tube

and per

and frame module :

c) Plate

It uses flat membrane cut in a unique,

serial order and

ional feed flow coverage.

In principle plate and frame module consis

unidirect

of support plates of special contours

with

inte
t of non specified

plates. This configuration resembles the filter press i

number
r space membrane
This type of module has unique advantage that
backing

ration problem at hand, which can range from d

.

the sepa

n vertical-position.
it can be tailored to
esalination of ultra

filtration

T., Akola

Reverse
Osmosis

C.O.E. &

10

Reverse
Osmosis

11

C.O.E. & T., Akola

12

FOULING

C.O.E. & T., Akola

13

Membrane fouling is one of the most serious problems in case of

Reverse system. This affects directly on the performance of the reverse osmosis
system. It may cause permanent damage to membrane. The main reasons of
fouling are:
1. Membrane scaling
2. Metal oxide ppt.
3. Device plugging
4. Biological growth inside device.
5. Colloidal fouling.
Membranes scaling :
Membrane scaling is caused by ppt of the salts dissolved in feed
water. The salts in feed water are usually concentrated by a factor of two to ten
in RO process, their solubility limits can be exceeded thus ppt can occur. The
most common scales encountered in water treatment application are calcium
carbonate and calcium sulfate. But ether compounds such as silicate, strontium
sulfate, beryllium sill late and calcium fluoride also can scaling.

Metal Oxide Precipitation :

C.O.E. & T., Akola

13

Soluble species in feed water can be oxidized in the reverse

osmosis system ahead of the permiator or in the permiator itself, to form
insoluble species, which can deposit into permiator. Both manganese and iron
can cause fouling by this mechanism, but iron fouling is most prevalent.
Device plugging :
Plugging is caused by mechanical filtration in which particles too
large to pass through the feed brine passage are trapped in device. Device plugging
problem.
Biological fouling :
Biological fouling occurs mainly due to growth of micro-organism
in RO device. Micro-organisms may itself grow in membrane and when feed water
is filtered these bacteria's may enter in product water.
Colloidal fouling :
Colloidal fouling is caused by entrapment of colloids

on

membrane surface in RO. Colloidal fouling is also caused by coagulation of

colloids during RO process.

APPLICATION OF REVERSE OSMOSIS

TECHNIQUE
Reverse osmosis system or technique has a many application over
other conventional techniques; so in industry it is most widely used technique.
Some of them are as follows.
a. The most wide use of RO is in the desalination of sea water.
b. RO is also used in sewage water treatment plants for the removal of
nitrates phosphates or the non-biodegradable surfractants.
c. RO is used in the treatment of hard water.
d. Paper and pulp industry also use this technique for

the treatment of

waste water.
e. Electroplating and electro painting industries also needs RO.
f. RO is used in the removal of common water pollutants like nitrates,
borate, fluorides, phosphates, alkyl benzene sulphonate.
g. RO is used in pharmaceutical and electronic industries.

ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES

Advantages of reverse osmosis
1. Thermal damage of product is eliminated
2. Retention of original aroma and taste is retained
3. Reduction is energy consumption
4. Easy in operation
5. Compact size
6. Low maintenance.

Disadvantages ;

High Cost

Less membrane life

CONCLUSION
Today's day water is basic need and the availability of pure water
is little quantity on earth. So desalination is necessary for today's world and
selecting Reverse Osmosis process we can solved water problem to

some

extend to use of membrane technology.

1. Reverse osmosis is most efficient and convenient hyper filtration process
of water purification.
2. Reverse osmosis process gives more promising result.
3. Reverse osmosis is simple and effective method than any other
purification method.
4. Organic matter removal and particle colloidal reduction are effectively
controlled by RO.

REFERENCES
1.

Indian Journal of Environmental Protection Vol.19, No.8

2.

Indian Journal of Chemistry

Vol. 31 A.

3. www.dairyconsultant.co.uk/filtration.htm
4.

www.desaline.com