RO - Reverse Osmosis System | Standard RO Water Treatment
MPN: RO ✓ Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $250 | $250.00 |
| 10 | $230 | $2,300.00 |
| 100 | $210 | $21,000.00 |
| 500 | $185 | $92,500.00 |
| 1,000 | $165 | $165,000.00 |
RO Overview
An RO membrane element is a separation device within the broader water-treatment hierarchy: RO element → thin-film composite membrane → spiral-wound module → RO system → water purification unit → industrial process subsystem. Reverse osmosis (also called hyperfiltration) is distinguished from nanofiltration (NF) by its near-total ionic rejection, from ultrafiltration (UF) by its ability to remove monovalent salts, and from microfiltration (MF) by its ability to remove dissolved species below 1 nm.
Key features of standard RO elements include thin-film polyamide composite membranes laminated onto a microporous polysulfone support, a 28-mil or 34-mil feed spacer, a permeate tube sealed by anti-telescoping device (ATD) end caps, and a standard 1.125-inch (4040) or 3.875-inch (8040) outer diameter. Most elements carry NSF/ANSI 61 certification for potable water contact and operate across a feed pH window of 2-11 (continuous) and 1-13 (cleaning), with maximum feed water temperature of 45°C and free chlorine tolerance of less than 0.1 mg/L.
The polyamide chemistry provides the dense skin layer responsible for ionic rejection, while the polysulfone layer provides mechanical strength. Rejection is driven by solution-diffusion through the dense layer, with the support layer providing only hydraulic permeability. Operating pressure, recovery, and feed water chemistry (TDS, pH, temperature) jointly determine permeate quality and flux.
Typical applications of standard RO elements include brackish water desalination (BWRO), seawater desalination (SWRO at higher pressure), ultrapure water for semiconductor and pharmaceutical manufacturing, boiler feed pre-treatment in power generation, food and beverage concentration/dewatering, and residential point-of-use drinking water. The wide feed-tolerance range supports single-stage and two-stage process trains.
When designing with standard RO elements, size the high-pressure pump to deliver feed pressure above the osmotic pressure of the concentrate, plus the net driving pressure required for the design flux. Always include cartridge filtration (5 micron nominal) upstream of the RO train and avoid operating continuously above 15% recovery per element to prevent scaling and fouling.
Drop-in alternatives for RO — same package, pin-to-pin compatible. Different-package parts requiring PCB rework are excluded.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
BW30-4040
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
ESPA2-4040
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
TM720D-4040
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
BW 4040 R
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
BW30-8040
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
ESPA2-8040
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
RO Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Technology | Reverse Osmosis (RO), thin-film composite |
| Membrane Type | Polyamide thin-film composite on polysulfone support |
| Element Geometry | Spiral-wound, 4040 (4" x 40") or 8040 (8" x 40") |
| Standard Diameter | 1.125 inch (4040) / 3.875 inch (8040) |
| Operating Pressure | 1.0-1.5 MPa (standard brackish), up to 8.0 MPa seawater |
| Salt Rejection | 95.0% - 99.5% (model dependent) |
| Feed pH Range (continuous) | 2 - 11 |
| Feed pH Range (cleaning) | 1 - 13 |
| Maximum Feed Temperature | 45 C |
| Maximum Free Chlorine | <0.1 mg/L |
| Maximum Feed SDI15 | 5 |
| Recovery per Element | up to 15% |
| Feed Spacer | 28-mil or 34-mil |
| Certifications | NSF/ANSI 61 (potable contact), typical for standard RO elements |
| Application | Brackish/seawater desalination, ultrapure water, process water |
RO standard Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for RO (standard package). Pin numbering, functions, and connection diagrams are defined in the manufacturer datasheet. Refer to it for the exact footprint and soldering guidelines.
No detailed pinout data available for RO.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
RO is suitable for 6 applications: Brackish Water Desalination (BWRO), Seawater Desalination (SWRO), Ultrapure Water for Semiconductor / Pharmaceutical, Boiler Feed Pre-Treatment in Power Generation, Food and Beverage Concentration / Dewatering, Residential Point-of-Use Drinking Water.
Brackish Water Desalination (BWRO)
The RO element is the workhorse of brackish water desalination plants producing 50-10,000 m3/day of permeate from feed TDS of 1,000-10,000 ppm. RO fits this application because its 95-99.5% salt rejection reliably reduces TDS below 500 ppm in a single pass, while standard BWRO pressure ratings (1.0-1.5 MPa) keep pump and energy costs within municipal water utility budgets. Plant designers typically stack 6-7 elements per 4040 or 8040 pressure vessel running 45-75% recovery. Compared to seawater desalination, brackish RO cuts energy consumption by 60-70% because concentrate osmotic pressure is roughly one-quarter that of seawater at the same recovery.
Recommended
Seawater Desalination (SWRO)
The RO element deployed in seawater service is a higher-pressure (5.5-8.0 MPa) variant of the same thin-film composite architecture, rejecting 99.5%+ of the 35,000 ppm TDS typical of open-ocean intake. RO fits this application because no other membrane technology combines the required monovalent salt rejection with the durability to survive continuous high-pressure operation. SWRO plants pair high-rejection elements with energy-recovery devices (ERDs) to reduce specific energy consumption from ~6 kWh/m3 down to ~2-3 kWh/m3. Compared to thermal desalination (MSF, MED), RO cuts plant footprint by 50% and fuel/electricity cost by 60-80%.
Recommended
Ultrapure Water for Semiconductor / Pharmaceutical
The RO element serves as the first demineralization stage in ultrapure water (UPW) trains feeding semiconductor fabs and pharmaceutical water-for-injection (WFI) systems. RO fits this application because its 99.5% salt rejection drops feed TDS from 100-500 ppm down to <1 ppm in a single pass, dramatically shrinking the load on downstream ion-exchange mixed beds and electro-deionization (EDI) stacks. UPW-grade RO trains typically run 85-90% recovery with two-pass configuration to meet <0.1 ppb TOC targets. Compared to dual-bed ion exchange alone, RO pre-treatment cuts regenerant chemical consumption by 80-90%.
Recommended
Boiler Feed Pre-Treatment in Power Generation
The RO element is the leading pre-treatment for makeup water to utility and industrial boilers, particularly high-pressure (>900 psi) drum units and once-through supercritical boilers. RO fits this application because reducing makeup TDS below 1 ppm dramatically cuts blowdown volume and chemistry carryover into steam, extending turbine blade life. Power-plant RO trains typically recover 75-85% with two-stage configuration and integrate with condensate polishing mixed beds downstream. Compared to clarifier-plus-softener-only treatment, RO pre-treatment cuts boiler blowdown by 60% and chemical oxygen scavenger demand by 40%.
Recommended
Food and Beverage Concentration / Dewatering
The RO element is widely used for gentle concentration of food streams (milk, whey, juice, sugar, coffee) because RO operates at ambient or modestly elevated temperatures that preserve heat-sensitive flavors and nutrients. RO fits this application because it removes water without phase change, retaining volatile aroma compounds and avoiding the cooked notes that thermal evaporation introduces. Typical dairy and juice RO trains run 1.5-3.0 MPa on 28-mil feed spacers with sanitary 3-A certified elements. Compared to vacuum evaporation, RO cuts energy consumption by 70-90% for water removal from heat-sensitive liquids.
Recommended
Residential Point-of-Use Drinking Water
The RO element is the heart of residential point-of-use (POU) reverse osmosis drinking water systems, producing 50-100 GPD of low-TDS permeate from tap water. RO fits this application because consumer demand centers on removing lead, chromium, arsenic, nitrate, fluoride, and TDS to improve taste and safety, all of which require the >95% rejection an RO element delivers. Residential systems typically pair a 50 GPD thin-film composite element with pre- and post-carbon polishers. Compared to pitcher filters and faucet-mount carbon filters, residential RO cuts total lead and arsenic by 95%+ but wastes 3-4 gallons of concentrate per gallon of permeate.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for RO — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | BW30-4040 | ESPA2-4040 | TM720D-4040 | BW 4040 R |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Pure Aqua | DuPont FilmTec | Hydranautics (Nitto) | Toray | LG Chem |
| Package | Spiral-wound 4040 (1.125" OD x 40") | Spiral-wound 4040 (1.125" OD x 40") - same | Spiral-wound 4040 (1.125" OD x 40") - same | Spiral-wound 4040 (1.125" OD x 40") - same | Spiral-wound 4040 (1.125" OD x 40") - same |
| Membrane Type | Polyamide TFC | Polyamide TFC | Polyamide TFC (low-energy) | Polyamide TFC (high-fouling resistance) | Polyamide TFC (anti-fouling surface) |
| Nominal Salt Rejection | 95.0% - 99.5% | 99.5% | 99.5% | 99.5% | 99.5% |
| Operating Pressure (max) | 1.5 MPa (BWRO) | 4.1 MPa (600 psi) | 1.0 MPa (low-energy) | 4.1 MPa (600 psi) | 4.1 MPa (600 psi) |
| Feed pH Range | 2 - 11 (continuous) | 2 - 11 | 2 - 11 | 2 - 11 | 2 - 11 |
| Maximum Free Chlorine | <0.1 mg/L | <0.1 mg/L | <0.1 mg/L | <0.1 mg/L | <0.1 mg/L |
| Approx. Unit Price (USD) | 250 - 450 (4040 BWRO) | 300 - 450 | 320 - 470 | 290 - 430 | 285 - 420 |
Key Differentiators
- Wider operating envelope than nanofiltration (NF) (vs NF elements (e.g., Hydranautics ESNA1))
- Lower energy per m3 permeate than thermal desalination (vs Multi-stage flash (MSF) or multi-effect distillation (MED))
- Higher fouling tolerance with 34-mil spacer (vs TM720D-4040 (34-mil) vs BW30-4040 (28-mil))
Design Notes
Always install a 5 micron (nominal) cartridge filter upstream of the RO train. The polyamide skin layer is less than 0.2 micron thick; even small particulate loads will permanently damage the salt-rejection surface and reduce element life from 5 years to less than 18 months. Replace the cartridge filter when differential pressure reaches 15 psi to keep the SDI15 below 5 at the RO feed.
RO permeate flow increases roughly 1.5-2.0% per degree Celsius of feed water temperature rise, and salt rejection decreases about 0.1% per degree. Sized at 25°C nominal, summer feed at 35°C will over-produce by 15-20% but at lower rejection. Operators must compensate by throttling the recycle valve or adjusting the recovery setpoint seasonally to keep permeate quality within spec.
Equivalent: pressure-vessel plumbing design. Keep feed, concentrate, and permeate manifolds sized for velocities below 8 ft/s (2.4 m/s) to avoid pressure surge that can crack ATD end caps and burst permeate tubes. Always include a slow-ramping high-pressure pump start (0.5 Hz/s ramp) to prevent water hammer that voids element warranties.
Compliance Information
RO water-treatment elements are not electronic components; RoHS, REACH, and AEC-Q100 do not apply. Lead-free and 3-A sanitary certification status is element-specific and should be confirmed against the specific MPN's datasheet.
