How RO Membrane Works: Get the Inside Scoop on Water Filtration Secrets

Let me tell you about my little adventure with a reverse osmosis membrane. I got curious about how these things work after installing a water filter system at home. So, I decided to get my hands dirty and figure it out.

First, I grabbed an old RO membrane from a used filter. I carefully disassembled the filter housing to get to the membrane. It was all wrapped up like a mummy, so I unwound the layers until I had the membrane sheet in front of me. It was pretty thin and looked like plastic, but I knew it was way more complicated than that.

What the RO membrane do?

I learned that the RO membrane is the heart of the whole system. I started researching and found out that it’s designed to remove all sorts of impurities from water. I’m talking about salts, particles, those tiny organic things, and even bacteria. It’s like a super fine net that only lets water molecules pass through. I even read somewhere that it can remove up to 99% of dissolved salts.

• Grabbed an old RO membrane
• Carefully disassembled the filter
• Unwound the layers to get the membrane sheet

Next, I did a little experiment. I set up a makeshift system where I forced water through the membrane using a pump. This is basically what happens in a real RO system. The water is pushed through the membrane under pressure.

On one side of the membrane, I collected the water that passed through. On the other side, I had the leftover water that couldn’t make it through. I tested both samples. Guess what? The water that went through the membrane was significantly cleaner! It was like magic. I could see a clear difference in the amount of dissolved solids.

The RO membrane does this by having really tiny pores. I learned that these pores are so small that they only allow water molecules to pass through. All the other stuff, like impurities and contaminants, get left behind. This process is called reverse osmosis, which is a pretty fancy term, but it basically means that the water is forced to go through the membrane, leaving the bad stuff behind.

• Set up a makeshift system
• Forced water through the membrane with a pump
• Collected and tested water samples

I was pretty amazed by how this simple-looking membrane could do so much. I read that this kind of water is good enough to meet strict purity standards. It’s even used in places like hospitals and labs where they need really clean water.

So, that’s my little story about how I explored the world of reverse osmosis membranes. It was a fun little project, and I learned a lot. Now, every time I drink filtered water, I think about that thin little membrane working hard to make it clean and safe for me.