Reverse Osmosis Teatment Plants

CIE uses reverse osmosis technology in membrane wastewater treatment plants. This process allows the transfer of molecules from one saline solution to another. As a result, in the Reverse Osmosis treatment plants gives to the water frees from unwanted substances.

The phenomenon of osmosis occurs when pure water flows from a dilute saline solution through a membrane into a higher concentrated saline solution.

A semi-permeable membrane is placed between two compartments. “Semi-permeable” means that the membrane is permeable to some species, and not permeable to others. Assume that this membrane is permeable to water, but not to salt. Then, place a salt solution in one compartment and pure water in the other compartment. The membrane will allow water to permeate through it to either side. But salt cannot pass through the membrane.

As a fundamental rule of nature, this system will try to reach equilibrium. That is, it will try to reach the same concentration on both sides of the membrane. The only possible way to reach equilibrium is for water to pass from the pure water compartment to the salt-containing compartment, to dilute the salt solution.

If a force is applied to this column of water, the direction of water flow through the membrane can be reversed. This is the basis of the term reverse osmosis. Note that this reversed flow produces a pure water from the salt solution, since the membrane is not permeable to salt.