How Reverse Osmosis Filters Work?
Osmosis, if you look it up in the dictionary, means the movement of a substance in a semi-permeable membrane into a solution of a higher concentration to equalize the concentration inside and outside the membrane. In reverse osmosis, the membrane is used as a filter to remove large molecules and ions from the solution. Reverse osmosis systems are used to make drinkable water from salty or contaminate water. It usually takes a lot of pressure and it’s a slow process, but it works.
Reverse osmosis is done by applying pressure to a solution on one side of a selective membrane. When pressure is applied, the uncontaminated water or the solvent slowly seeps out of the membrane. The contaminants, or the solute, are retained inside the selective membrane. This process is applied to filtering water for drinking.