Introduction to Reverse Osmosis

In this chapter, a general introduction to reverse osmosis (RO) process technology is given. It starts with a short description of the seawater composition and the historical development of RO technology. Further, the essential process steps in a reverse osmosis-based desalination plant, RO technology in Gulf cooperation council countries, the benefits and the limitations of RO processes are briefly discussed. Also, applications of RO process such as desalination, industrial water treatment, specific contaminant removal, and production of superior purity water are discussed, along with RO membrane manufacturers. Furthermore, the future of this technology in desalination such as chlorine-resistant membranes, less-fouling membranes, handling water with higher total-dissolved solids, and alternate membrane materials are briefly reviewed. At the end of this chapter, explanation of various terms commonly used by industry practitioners in RO process technology is presented.