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Did
you know?
Reverse osmosis is the finest water filtration method known. This process will
allow the removal of particles as small as ions from a solution. It is used
to purify water and remove salts and other impurities in order to improve the
color, taste or properties of the fluid. R.O. uses a membrane that is semi-permeable,
allowing the fluid that is being purified to pass through it, while rejecting
other ions and contaminants from passing.
This technology uses a process
known as crossflow to allow the r.o. membrane to continually clean itself. This
is the reason of why an r.o. element can last many years before clogging or
need replacement. This
water purification process requires a driving force to push the fluid through
the membrane, and the most common force is household water pressure or pressure
from a booster pump. The higher the pressure, the larger the driving force and
efficiency.
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THE ION EXCHANGE
PRINCIPLE
The
idea of ion exchange is not new. Scientists have been aware of the principle
for a long time. However, it has only been since the start of the present
century that the principle has been put to practical use. One area in
which it has been highly effective has been in the treatment of water
for removal of hardness minerals and certain other contaminants.
THE ION EXCHANGE
COLUMN
HARD
WATER ENTERING SOFTENER
All
recognized household water softening equipment now on the market makes
use of the ion exchange principle. Equipment using this principle contains
a bed of permanent bead-like or granular softening material through which
the water flows. As the water travels through the bed of ion exchange
material, the hardness minerals are removed, leaving the water soft and
more satisfactory for household use.
Bed.
The granules or particles of ion exchange material in a softener are referred
to as the bed.
The ion exchange material
(usually resin beads or granules) consists of permanent insoluble anions,
kept electrically neutral by replaceable sodium cations. Hard water contaminated
with calcium and magnesium ions enters the exchange column or bed. As
it flows through it, the magnesium and calcium cations in the water are
drawn to the anions of the ion exchanger. The ion exchanger has a greater
affinity for the calcium and magnesium ions than for the sodium ions.
Therefore, the calcium and magnesium ions are absorbed, and a chemically
equivalent number of sodium ions is released into the water. Thus, a water containing
the ions of calcium bicarbonate
when it enters, contains the ions of sodium bicarbonate as it leaves the
ion exchanger bed. In brief, harmless sodium ions have replaced the troubleproducing
hardness ions.
Ion
exchange occurs literally billions of times between the material in the
exchange column and the minerals in the water as softening proceeds.
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