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 Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any Web addresses or links contained in this ebook may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher. Smashwords Edition, License Notes Thank you for downloading this free ebook. Although this is a free ebook, it remains the copyrighted property of the author, and may not be reproduced, copied and distributed for commercial or non-commercial purposes. If you enjoyed this ebook, please encourage your friends to download their own copy at Smashwords.com, where they can also discover other works by this author. Thank you for your support. 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 ***** 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. ***** 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. ***** 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. ***** 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. ***** 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: http://www.culliganindustrialwater.com ***** 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) ### . How Industrial Businesses can Reduce Production Costs with Reverse Osmosis Copyright Notice Copyright © 2013 Culligan Industrial Water Engineering Chapter 2: What Does Reverse Osmosis Remove? Chapter 3: Industrial Applications for Reverse Osmosis Chapter 4: Saving Money with Reverse Osmosis About the