Differentiate between reverse osmosis membrane process with ultra filtration membrane
The main difference between reverse osmosis and ultrafiltration is that ultrafiltration membranes have larger pore sizes than reverse osmosis membranes, ranging from 1 to 100 nm. Ultrafiltration membranes are used for the separation and concentration of macromolecules and colloidal particles.
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Points
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Reverse osmosis
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Ultra filtration
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Pore size
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Small pore size
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have larger pore sizes than reverse osmosis membranes, ranging from 1 to 100 nm.
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cost
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Residential reverse osmosis systems cost about $200-400. The initial cost of reverse osmosis is going to be a little higher than the cost of an ultrafiltration system.
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Ultrafiltration systems cost about $150-200 for the system itself. The ultrafiltration system is cheaper initially, but will cost more long term
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Installation
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A reverse osmosis system is more complex to install. More connections need to be made for the system to operate correctly
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To install an ultrafiltration unit is very simple. You connect the feed supply and the other end of the filter.
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Storage and conservation
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Reverse Osmosis is a cross flow filtration. The system creates two water streams through the membrane. One path ends up in a storage tank
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Ultrafiltration doesn't require a storage tank. It literally hooks directly up to a special faucet.
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What it removes
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Reverse osmosis eliminates the majority of the dissolved minerals in the water.
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Ultrafiltration is not going to eliminate dissolved solids or salts. Ultrafiltration only filters out solid particulate matter, but it does so on a microscopic level.
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What it uses
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a semipermeable membrane that separates 95-98% of inorganic dissolved material from the water molecule.
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The ultrafiltration system uses a hollow fiber membrane to stop solid debris and microscopic contaminants.
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