What does reverse osmosis mean?

Definitions for reverse osmosis
re·verse os·mo·sis

This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word reverse osmosis.

Princeton's WordNet

  1. reverse osmosisnoun

    (chemistry) a method of producing pure water; a solvent passes through a semipermeable membrane in a direction opposite to that for natural osmosis when it is subjected to a hydrostatic pressure greater than the osmotic pressure

Wiktionary

  1. reverse osmosisnoun

    a technique whereby a solution is forced through a semipermeable membrane under pressure; used to generate drinkable water from sea water, or to separate chemical compounds

Wikipedia

  1. Reverse osmosis

    Reverse osmosis (RO) is a water purification process that uses a partially permeable membrane to separate ions, unwanted molecules and larger particles from drinking water. In reverse osmosis, an applied pressure is used to overcome osmotic pressure, a colligative property that is driven by chemical potential differences of the solvent, a thermodynamic parameter. Reverse osmosis can remove many types of dissolved and suspended chemical species as well as biological ones (principally bacteria) from water, and is used in both industrial processes and the production of potable water. The result is that the solute is retained on the pressurized side of the membrane and the pure solvent is allowed to pass to the other side. To be "selective", this membrane should not allow large molecules or ions through the pores (holes), but should allow smaller components of the solution (such as solvent molecules, e.g., water, H2O) to pass freely.In the normal osmosis process, the solvent naturally moves from an area of low solute concentration (high water potential), through a membrane, to an area of high solute concentration (low water potential). The driving force for the movement of the solvent is the reduction in the Gibbs free energy of the system when the difference in solvent concentration on either side of a membrane is reduced, generating osmotic pressure due to the solvent moving into the more concentrated solution. Applying an external pressure to reverse the natural flow of pure solvent, thus, is reverse osmosis. The process is similar to other membrane technology applications. Reverse osmosis differs from filtration in that the mechanism of fluid flow is by osmosis across a membrane. The predominant removal mechanism in membrane filtration is straining, or size exclusion, where the pores are 0.01 micrometers or larger, so the process can theoretically achieve perfect efficiency regardless of parameters such as the solution's pressure and concentration. Reverse osmosis instead involves solvent diffusion across a membrane that is either nonporous or uses nanofiltration with pores 0.001 micrometers in size. The predominant removal mechanism is from differences in solubility or diffusivity, and the process is dependent on pressure, solute concentration, and other conditions.Reverse osmosis is most commonly known for its use in drinking water purification from seawater, removing the salt and other effluent materials from the water molecules.

ChatGPT

  1. reverse osmosis

    Reverse osmosis is a water purification process that uses a partially permeable membrane to remove ions, unwanted molecules, and larger particles from drinking water. In reverse osmosis, an applied pressure is used to overcome osmotic pressure, a colligative property, that is driven by chemical potential differences of the solvent, a thermodynamic parameter. This process is contrary to the natural process of osmosis.

Wikidata

  1. Reverse osmosis

    Reverse osmosis is a water purification technology that uses a semipermeable membrane. This membrane-technology is not properly a filtration method. In RO, an applied pressure is used to overcome osmotic pressure, a colligative property, that is driven by chemical potential, a thermodynamic parameter. RO can remove many types of molecules and ions from solutions and is used in both industrial processes and to produce potable water. The result is that the solute is retained on the pressurized side of the membrane and the pure solvent is allowed to pass to the other side. To be "selective," this membrane should not allow large molecules or ions through the pores, but should allow smaller components of the solution to pass freely. In the normal osmosis process, the solvent naturally moves from an area of low solute concentration, through a membrane, to an area of high solute concentration. The movement of a pure solvent is driven to reduce the free energy of the system by equalizing solute concentrations on each side of a membrane, generating osmotic pressure. Applying an external pressure to reverse the natural flow of pure solvent, thus, is reverse osmosis. The process is similar to other membrane technology applications. However, there are key differences between reverse osmosis and filtration. The predominant removal mechanism in membrane filtration is straining, or size exclusion, so the process can theoretically achieve perfect exclusion of particles regardless of operational parameters such as influent pressure and concentration. Moreover, reverse osmosis involves a diffusive mechanism so that separation efficiency is dependent on solute concentration, pressure, and water flux rate. Reverse osmosis is most commonly known for its use in drinking water purification from seawater, removing the salt and other effluent materials from the water molecules.

Matched Categories

How to pronounce reverse osmosis?

How to say reverse osmosis in sign language?

Numerology

  1. Chaldean Numerology

    The numerical value of reverse osmosis in Chaldean Numerology is: 2

  2. Pythagorean Numerology

    The numerical value of reverse osmosis in Pythagorean Numerology is: 3

Examples of reverse osmosis in a Sentence

  1. David Andrews:

    The water filters that are most effective for PFAS are reverse osmosis filters, which are more expensive.

  2. David Andrews:

    The water filters that are most effective for PFAS are reverse osmosis filters, which are more expensive, about in the $ 200 range.


Translations for reverse osmosis

From our Multilingual Translation Dictionary

  • UmkehrosmoseGerman
  • osmosis inversaSpanish
  • विपरीत परासरणHindi
  • ರಿವರ್ಸ್ ಆಸ್ಮೋಸಿಸ್Kannada
  • தலைகீழ் சவ்வூடுபரவல்Tamil
  • రివర్స్ ఆస్మాసిస్Telugu
  • ریورس osmosisUrdu
  • 反渗透Chinese

Get even more translations for reverse osmosis »

Translation

Find a translation for the reverse osmosis definition in other languages:

Select another language:

  • - Select -
  • 简体中文 (Chinese - Simplified)
  • 繁體中文 (Chinese - Traditional)
  • Español (Spanish)
  • Esperanto (Esperanto)
  • 日本語 (Japanese)
  • Português (Portuguese)
  • Deutsch (German)
  • العربية (Arabic)
  • Français (French)
  • Русский (Russian)
  • ಕನ್ನಡ (Kannada)
  • 한국어 (Korean)
  • עברית (Hebrew)
  • Gaeilge (Irish)
  • Українська (Ukrainian)
  • اردو (Urdu)
  • Magyar (Hungarian)
  • मानक हिन्दी (Hindi)
  • Indonesia (Indonesian)
  • Italiano (Italian)
  • தமிழ் (Tamil)
  • Türkçe (Turkish)
  • తెలుగు (Telugu)
  • ภาษาไทย (Thai)
  • Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)
  • Čeština (Czech)
  • Polski (Polish)
  • Bahasa Indonesia (Indonesian)
  • Românește (Romanian)
  • Nederlands (Dutch)
  • Ελληνικά (Greek)
  • Latinum (Latin)
  • Svenska (Swedish)
  • Dansk (Danish)
  • Suomi (Finnish)
  • فارسی (Persian)
  • ייִדיש (Yiddish)
  • հայերեն (Armenian)
  • Norsk (Norwegian)
  • English (English)

Word of the Day

Would you like us to send you a FREE new word definition delivered to your inbox daily?

Please enter your email address:


Citation

Use the citation below to add this definition to your bibliography:

Style:MLAChicagoAPA

"reverse osmosis." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 4 Dec. 2024. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/reverse+osmosis>.

Discuss these reverse osmosis definitions with the community:

0 Comments

    Are we missing a good definition for reverse osmosis? Don't keep it to yourself...

    Image or illustration of

    reverse osmosis

    Credit »

    Free, no signup required:

    Add to Chrome

    Get instant definitions for any word that hits you anywhere on the web!

    Free, no signup required:

    Add to Firefox

    Get instant definitions for any word that hits you anywhere on the web!

    Quiz

    Are you a words master?

    »
    cause to be embarrassed; cause to feel self-conscious
    A loom
    B emanate
    C cleave
    D abash

    Nearby & related entries:

    Alternative searches for reverse osmosis: