Pöördosmoosiks

Pöördosmoosiks refers to the process of reverse osmosis, a water purification technique. In normal osmosis, a solvent moves from a region of lower solute concentration to a region of higher solute concentration across a semipermeable membrane. This movement aims to equalize the solute concentration on both sides of the membrane. Reverse osmosis, however, applies external pressure to the side with higher solute concentration, forcing the solvent (typically water) to move in the opposite direction, from the higher concentration side to the lower concentration side.

This process effectively separates the solvent from dissolved solutes, such as salts, minerals, and other impurities. The semipermeable membrane used in reverse osmosis has pores small enough to allow water molecules to pass through but too small for most dissolved substances. The applied pressure must be greater than the osmotic pressure, which is the minimum pressure that needs to be applied to stop the inward flow of solvent across the semipermeable membrane.

Reverse osmosis is widely used in various applications, including desalination of seawater, purification of drinking water, wastewater treatment, and in industrial processes. It is a highly effective method for removing a broad range of contaminants, producing high-purity water. The efficiency of reverse osmosis depends on factors such as the membrane material, pore size, applied pressure, temperature, and the concentration of the feed solution.