Reverse osmosis, also known as desalination, refers to the process whereby seawater is converted into fresh water for drinking, washing and other uses. The process uses a reverse osmosis pump to pump the seawater at high pressures through a membrane that removes the salt, minerals and other particles such as ions.
Due to the high pressures required from the desalination pump to force the seawater through the membrane, it is common for a multistage centrifugal, piston or side channel pump to be used. Some people therefore also refer to them as reverse osmosis booster pumps. On board a vessel where access to seawater is much greater than fresh water, desalination is a crucial application and therefore reverse osmosis water pumps need to be of a reliable and heavy duty design.
For more information on pumps for reverse osmosis, read our application focus.
