ABSTRACT
Reverse Osmosis (RO) was used for removal of salts from water and was first patented on 1931 by A. G. Horvath. Several remediation technologies have been considered for removal of arsenic, fluoride and uranium from water. RO appears to be the most effective processes to remove the contaminants from aqueous solution. Improved composite membranes also made a large breakthrough for economical application of RO membrane in drinking water industry. RO membranes consist of two layers, a thin dense top polymer layer and a porous sublayer, which gives support to the top layer and increases the mechanical stability of the membrane. These membranes have been effectively used for water desalination with a very high rejection of the low molecular mass compounds. RO membranes are divided into three categories, i.e., cellulose acetate based membranes, polyamide based membranes and composite membranes. There are four types of membrane modules that are used for RO: plate and frame, tubular, spiral wound and hollow fiber.
