How Industrial Businesses can Reduce Production Costs with Reverse Osmosis Copyright Notice docx

How Industrial Businesses can Reduce Production Costs with
Reverse Osmosis
Copyright Notice
Copyright © 2013 Culligan Industrial Water. Smashwords Edition.
Culligan Industrial Water
Minnetonka, MN 55345
http:// www.culliganindustrialwater.com
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Table of Contents
Preface
Chapter 1: Reverse Osmosis Design and Engineering
Chapter 2: What Does Reverse Osmosis Remove?
Chapter 3: Industrial Applications for Reverse Osmosis
Chapter 4: Saving Money with Reverse Osmosis
About the Author
Definitions
Appendix
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Preface:
Reverse osmosis (RO) is the process of forcing impure water through a semi-permeable
membrane. The membrane will allow the water to pass but will trap any salts or other
impurities larger than 0.0001 microns. This eBook takes a look at some of the uses for

reverse osmosis in the industrial world and the ways in which this innovative water
filtration technology can save businesses money.
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Chapter 1: Reverse Osmosis Design and Engineering
Engineers must take several factors into consideration when designing a custom
reverse osmosis system, including the source water’s temperature, flow rate, hardness
level and contaminants. Depending on the application, both a pre-RO filter and a post-
RO filter may be required to treat source water in addition to the reverse osmosis
process.
Pre-filters are often required to remove sediment material, such as sand or other large
contaminants, from source water which could quickly clog up a Reverse Osmosis
membrane. In cases where the source water comes from a municipal facility, water
should be pre-filtered through an activated carbon filter or treated with chlorine reducing
agents to prevent deterioration of the membrane.
For industrial applications, such as boiler feedwater or process water, pretreatment with
a water softener is also recommended to prevent scaling and corrosion. Water softening
uses an ion exchange process to remove scale depositing minerals.
For ultrapure water used in laboratories or a health care setting, an additional post-RO
filtration method may be required for further purification and sterilization.
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Chapter 2: What Does Reverse Osmosis Remove?
Reverse Osmosis removes contaminants and impurities larger than 0.0001 microns,
including: various types of salts, metals, viral and bacterial organisms (such as polio
and other disease causing organisms), and dissolved minerals (such as lead, zinc, and
phosphate). Depending on the characteristics of the system, mineral rejection rates will
typically vary from 85 to 99 percent.
*****
Chapter 3: Industrial Applications for Reverse Osmosis
Industrial reverse osmosis systems are typically used to treat water in the
manufacturing of:

• Pharmaceuticals
• Food and beverages
• Semiconductors
• Metal finishing
• Electronic components
Other industrial applications for reverse osmosis include the treatment of boiler
feedwater, cooling tower water and recycled process water in plating facilities.
When combined with other water pretreatment and filtration methods, RO may also be
used to produce dialysis water for hemodialysis patients and purified water for
laboratory use.
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Chapter 4: Saving Money with Reverse Osmosis
Reverse osmosis systems offer an economical solution for producing high purity water
and lowering productions costs.
When used to treat boiler feedwater, reverse osmosis removes contaminants that would
otherwise collect inside the boiler and result in scaling, blow down, and frequent
maintenance. By using water purified through reverse osmosis, scheduled maintenance
costs are lowered and boiler up-time is increased. By extension, the incidence of
unscheduled boiler maintenance events is also reduced, improving service delivery.
Reverse osmosis systems also help to extend the life of cooling towers. Microorganism
growth, scaling, corrosion, and dirt accumulation are all threats to the lifespan of a
cooling tower. The semi-permeable membrane of an RO filter captures bacterial
organisms and mineral deposits, reducing the threats of microorganism growth, scaling
and corrosion. Similar to the case for boiler feed water, maintenance and operating
costs are reduced.
Modern reverse osmosis systems are capable of filtering several million gallons of water
per day. Industrial reverse osmosis systems typically recover anywhere from 50% to
85% of filtered feed water.
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About the Author:

Culligan Industrial Water provides customized industrial water purification systems,
reflecting the amount of water needed, quality level required and application of the
purified water. For assistance in selecting the appropriate water treatment method for
your industrial needs, visit:
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Definitions:
Activated Carbon Filter – A chemically activated charcoal filter commonly used for
dechlorination, organics removal and other specialty processes.
Hard Water - A common quality of water which contains dissolved compounds of
calcium and magnesium.
Membrane
Reverse Osmosis – The process of using pressure to force water through a semi-
permeable membrane and filter out contaminants.
Scaling – A hard mineral coating or incrustation formed by the precipitation of salts from
water.
*****
Appendix:
Culligan Industrial Water “Reverse Osmosis Systems” (2013)
Water Quality Association (WQA) “Water Softening” (2013)
Culligan Water Learning Center (2013)
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) “Industrial Reuse and Recycle of Wastewaters”
(1980)
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