Think of Nanofiltration as a selective sieve at a molecular level. It's a membrane filtration process that sits between Ultrafiltration (UF) and Reverse Osmosis (RO) in terms of the size of particles it can remove.
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The Mechanism: Water is pushed through a semi-permeable membrane filled with pores approximately 0.001 microns (1 nanometer) in size. This is incredibly small—about 100 times smaller than the pores in a UF membrane.
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What It Removes: NF is exceptionally effective at removing:
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Divalent Ions: It softens water by removing hardness-causing ions like calcium (Ca²⁺) and magnesium (Mg²⁺).
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Organic Matter: It excels at removing natural organic matter (NOM), which can cause discoloration and react with disinfectants to form harmful by-products.
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Micropollutants: It effectively filters out pesticides, pharmaceutical residues, and other synthetic compounds.
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Viruses and Bacteria: While not its primary purpose, the small pore size also acts as a barrier to most microorganisms.
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A key feature of NF is that it allows many monovalent ions like sodium (Na⁺) and chloride (Cl⁻) to pass through. This selective nature is what gives it a significant advantage in specific applications.
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