Date:         Mon, 18 Feb 2002 07:35:58 -0800
Reply-To:     Alistair Bell <albell@UVIC.CA>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Alistair Bell <albell@UVIC.CA>
Subject:      reverse osmosis was Re: distilled water & wbx reliabilty
Comments: To: Andrew Grebneff <andrew.grebneff@stonebow.otago.ac.nz>
In-Reply-To:  <f0510030bb8965f310b63@[202.27.183.13]>
Content-type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"

Funny how I could be using, practically every day, a product produced by a
process that someone claims does not exist!

Reverse osmosis is reverse osmosis - instead of solutions passively reaching
a concentration of solute equilibrium across a semipermeable membrane, RO
uses pressure to force water across a semipermeable membrane, the membrane
preventing the passage of the solutes. In effect a molecular filter.

You end up with "saltier water than before on one side" and "purer water
than before" on the other.

Andrew, maybe one day you have to make fresh water on a sailboat or life
raft with a manually powered RO unit (arm powered piston pushing salt water
against membrane).

Alistair



albell@uvic.ca
http://homepage.mac.com/alistairbell

'82 Westy, diesel=>I4 gas


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on 17/2/02 11:53 PM, you  wrote:


>
> Reverse osmosis? Osmosis is osmosis; there's no such thing as reverse
> osmosis! It's merely the transfer of elements in a solution across a
> semipermeable membrane, moving from an area of higher concentration
> to one of lower, until the two balance (reach equilibrium). Whichever
> way the elements/chemicals move, it's just plain ol' osmosis. Smells
> of the idea of "deceleration" which is actually acceleration.
> --
> Andrew Grebneff
> 165 Evans St, Dunedin 9001, New Zealand
> <andrew.grebneff@stonebow.otago.ac.nz>
> Seashell, Macintosh, VW/Toyota van nut
> Friends don't let friends do Windows
>