Fouling, or the accumulation of contaminants on the membrane surface, is the "Achilles' heel" of these systems, requiring robust pre-treatment (e.g., UF, chlorination, pH adjustment).
Recent advancements focus on lowering operating pressures and improving pressure recovery devices (PRDs) to reduce energy consumption.
Reverse Osmosis (RO) and Nanofiltration (NF) are advanced, pressure-driven membrane technologies crucial for water purification, desalination, and industrial separation. Both operate by applying pressure to overcome natural osmotic pressure, pushing water molecules through a semi-permeable membrane while rejecting impurities.