Application of RO Membrane in Water Treatment

RO membrane, or Reverse Osmosis Membrane , is an artificial semipermeable membrane with certain characteristics that simulates biological semipermeable membranes. Its working principle is reverse osmosis, which is a process opposite to natural osmosis . Under natural conditions, water diffuses from the low-concentration solution side through the semipermeable membrane to the high-concentration solution side, while RO membrane technology applies sufficient pressure on the high-concentration solution side to reverse the flow of water, from the high-concentration impurity-containing aqueous solution side to the low-concentration pure water side, and impurities such as salt, microorganisms, and heavy metal ions are retained on the other side of the membrane, thereby achieving water purification.

RO membrane is currently widely used in water treatment, as follows:

Firstly. In the field of drinking water purification, RO membrane plays a key role. It can remove common harmful substances such as bacteria, viruses, residual chlorine, heavy metals (such as lead, mercury, cadmium) and organic pollutants in water, ensuring the safety and health of household water. At the same time, it significantly improves the taste of water quality and meets people's pursuit of high-quality drinking water. This makes RO membrane the core filtration component of many household water purifiers.

Secondly. RO membranes are also widely used in industrial production. In the process of electronic chip manufacturing, water quality requirements are extremely high. RO membranes can almost completely remove impurities in water, effectively prevent chip production from being contaminated, and ensure product quality and yield; the pharmaceutical industry also relies on RO membranes to prepare sterile, heat-free pure water for use in all aspects of drug production, from raw material cleaning to drug preparation, which cannot be separated from the precise filtration of RO membranes to ensure the safety and stability of drugs.

Thirdly. In terms of sewage treatment and reuse, RO membranes also show their outstanding advantages . For urban domestic sewage and industrial wastewater, RO membranes can perform deep treatment to remove dissolved solids, heavy metal ions and non-degradable organic matter, so that it meets the standards for reclaimed water reuse. It can be used in urban greening irrigation, landscape water replenishment, industrial circulation cooling and other fields, greatly alleviating the pressure of water shortage, realizing the recycling of water resources, and effectively promoting sustainable development.

Although RO membranes have problems in application, such as relatively high energy consumption and susceptibility to contamination and clogging, these problems are gradually being solved with the continuous advancement of materials science and manufacturing technology. The application prospects of RO membranes in the field of water treatment will surely be broader, and they will continue to contribute to the purification and rational use of global water resources.