The process of reverse osmosis has proven to be the most advanced method for removing salts from seawater and increasing access to clean water. Other applications include wastewater treatment and energy production.
Now a team of researchers in a new study shows that the standard explanation of how reverse osmosis works, accepted for more than fifty years, is fundamentally wrong. Along the way, researchers put forward another theory. In addition to correcting records, this data may allow reverse osmosis to be used more effectively.
RO/Reverse osmosis, a technology first used in the 1960s, removes salts and impurities from water by passing it through a semi-permeable membrane, which allows the water to pass through while blocking contaminants. To explain exactly how this works, the researchers used the theory of solution diffusion. The theory suggests that water molecules dissolve and diffuse through the membrane along a concentration gradient, that is, molecules move from areas of high concentration to areas of fewer molecules. Although the theory has been widely accepted for more than 50 years and has even been written into textbooks, Elimelech said he has long had doubts.
In general, modeling and experiments show that reverse osmosis is not driven by the concentration of molecules, but by pressure changes within the membrane.
Post time: Jan-03-2024