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ultrapure water treatment

Jan 9, 2025, 16:27:00

Water is water – or is it? You would think that there is no significant difference when it comes to water. But you would be wrong, because in addition to mineral water, which is enriched with cations and anions of various molecules found in nature, and distilled water, which is largely free of these, there is also so-called ultrapure water .

This particularly pure water, also called deionized water, is the pure chemical compound H2O, without any foreign substances. The ultrapure water is created using a variety of water treatment processes, which are also used in combination. These include ion exchange processes, distillation, sterilization, reverse osmosis or photooxidation.

How exactly is ultrapure water produced?

The water treatment process usually consists of two steps. First, normal tap or groundwater is demineralized using membrane filtration, UV and ozone systems or ion exchangers, which already significantly reduces the conductivity. In membrane filtration or reverse osmosis, the first step in water treatment, the natural osmotic pressure is exceeded by external pressure, so that a separation into a highly concentrated and a purified substance occurs within the reverse osmosis system. The membrane, which acts as a separator, catches the dissolved substances. The ion exchanger removes salts, i.e. cations and anions, for water treatment. Irradiation with a UV clarifier is the biological purification, which helps to kill bacteria in the water and reduce their concentration for water treatment. This is a basic preparation of the water, but further water treatment must be carried out to further reduce the conductivity. The second step is to process the water into ultrapure water using mixed bed ion exchange or electrode ionization. In this process, H+ and OH- ions are brought into balance in complex procedures and a further highly complex desalination process is carried out in order to achieve the prescribed, very low conductivity.

ultrapure water

Of course, the ultrapure water obtained in this way differs greatly from distilled or demineralized water. This can be seen primarily in the low conductivity, which is crucial for the reactivity of the water molecule as an ampholyte (substance that reacts with itself). Ultrapure water is particularly in demand in medicine for the production of orally administered medication and infusions. Deionized water is also used in the semiconductor industry in the production of computer chips or solar cells.

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Product: REOS Compact Umkehrosmoseanlage

Answer:

The REOS Compact reverse osmosis system is primarily designed for the treatment of relatively clean, pre-filtered drinking water. While it is excellent at removing impurities, pollutants and microorganisms from water to produce pure drinking water, its suitability for producing drinking water directly from a body of water such as a river depends on various factors.

For the direct treatment of river water into drinking water, preparatory steps are usually necessary to remove coarse impurities and particles before the water is passed through a reverse osmosis system. This includes pre-filtration to remove sediment, suspended solids and possible larger organic materials that could damage or clog the reverse osmosis system membranes.

Furthermore, the process of reverse osmosis can also lead to a reduced pH value, making the water slightly acidic. This is because reverse osmosis systems not only remove impurities, but also minerals that give the water flavor and contribute to pH balance. In some cases, it is therefore necessary to post-treat the osmosis-treated water to increase the pH and add minerals back in so that it meets drinking water standards and preferences.