- 2025-07-22
Removal of Boron from Water
Boron exists in the form of boric acid (H₃BO₃) or borate in water sources. The typical concentration of seawater is 4-5mg/L, and brackish water can reach 10mg/L. Its particularity lies in:
Neutral molecular form (pH<9) is difficult to remove by conventional ion exchange
WHO drinking water standard limit is 0.5mg/L (long-term excessive intake causes blood coagulation disorders)
Irrigation water exceeds 0.3mg/L, resulting in a 30% reduction in the yield of crops such as citrus
Four-stage boron removal process system
Scheme 1: Brackish water reverse osmosis system
Applicable conditions: inlet boron ≤1.5mg/L, TDS ≤10,000mg/L
Polyamide composite membrane (pH adjusted to 10.5)
Boron removal rate>85%, water recovery rate 75%
Scheme 2: RO-post-treatment integrated system
Applicable conditions: high-boron brackish water (boron>1.5mg/L)
First-level RO water production → second-level special boron adsorption resin
Final effluent boron <0.2mg/L
Solution 3: Two-stage seawater reverse osmosis
Applicable conditions: seawater desalination (boron 3-7mg/L)
First-stage seawater RO (pressure 6.5MPa) → second-stage low-salt RO
Two-stage total boron removal rate > 95%
Scheme 4: SWRO-ion exchange combination
Applicable conditions: seawater ultra-strict standards (boron < 0.1mg/L)
Seawater RO → Selective boron chelating resin (N-methylglucamine)
Resin adsorption capacity > 8g boron/L
Project case parameters
Middle East seawater desalination plant:
Processing capacity 132,000GPD (500m³/d)
Process: two-stage SWRO + boron selective resin
Outlet boron concentration: 0.08mg/L
Mining area brackish water project:
Integrated system: brackish water RO + post-adsorption unit
Inlet boron 2.8mg/L → Outlet water 0.15mg/L
Technological innovation advantages
Precise removal: NMR technology monitors boron morphology in real time and dynamically adjusts pH
Energy efficiency improvement: The two-stage RO system saves 60% energy compared to the traditional distillation method
Ecological safety: The boron concentration of drainage water is less than 0.5mg/L, meeting the fishery water standards
Agricultural guarantee: The boron qualification rate of irrigation water is 100%, and the crop yield increases by 12-15%