FCI Watermakers MAX-Q+, User Manual & Installation Manual

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FCI WATERMAKERS, INC. 17 FCI WATERMAKERS, INC. General
SEMIPERMEABLE MEMBRANES
Reverse Osmosis Membranes are a spiral wound filtration system using alternating
semipermeable and permeable materials to process and separate the product fluid from
the concentrate solution. Their filtration capabilities and application are dependent
on several factors: chemical composition of the fluid to be filtered, properties of the
semipermeable material required due to this composition, fluid temperature, operating
pressure, total dissolved solids to be removed, as well as several other small factors.
The filter size or permeate flow rates are determined as a function of the square foot of
semipermeable material used in the membrane, as well as the factors described above.
The typical rejection rate of reverse osmosis filters is 90 to 99.9 percent of Sodium
Chloride, as well as many other impurities. This constitutes an excellent utilization of
available water resources for large scale water purification requirements. Filter sizes for
both commercial and residential applications generally range from 2" X 12" to 8" X 40".
These sizes will meet almost all applications in today’s water purification industry.
TYPICAL MEMBRANE ELEMENT
The typical membrane element has the following properties:
• Semipermeable Materials
• Thin Film Composite (TFC)
• Chlorine sensitive, chlorine must be removed up stream of the membrane
• Bacteria resistant
• pH range is 3.0 to 11.0
• Highest water production rate of all reverse osmosis membranes
THEORY OF OPERATION
(continued)