Demineralized water is used in filling lead acid batteries and other applications instead of ordinary water to prevent the ions/minerals in the water from reacting with component of the materials it is used on and since normal tap water if used, will reduce the lifespan of the battery. Demineralized water is also used in the Pharmaceutical industry to produce drugs and suspensions to control product quality and safety. The Demineralized Water system first exchanges the cation of the salts for hydrogen ions and then exchanges the anions of the salts for the hydroxyl ions. Learn more about the other uses as you read on.
Demineralized water is uniquely purified with all or most of its minerals and salt, such as; Calcium, Magnesium, Sodium, Chloride, Sulphate, Nitrate, and Bicarbonate removed totally. This water can also be called DM water or Demin water.
Demineralized water can be made using ion exchange, electro-deionization, and membrane filtration (reverse osmosis or nanofiltration). Depending on the technology used to achieve the DM water, the number of dissolved solids in water that has been demineralized can reach below 10ppm, and the electrical conductivity can be less than 2mS/m.
There are various applications of Demineralized water which are listed below;
1. Power industries
Demineralized water is specially used for applications requiring higher levels of water purity, such as feed or makeup water for high-pressure boilers or process streams used in electronics manufacture, for example, refinery; Pressure boilers; this includes the Boiler feed water and stem generation.
2. Petro Chemical
Demineralization can also treat cooling tower blowdowns (which can also apply to other industries mentioned).
3. Beverage industry;
The Use of demineralized water in sanitizing containers and equipment before and during production to avoid contamination.
4. Pharmaceutical;
Production of drugs and suspensions to control product quality and safety. Demineralized water is used in manufacturing pharmaceutical products and cosmetics in the above order.
5. Automotive; Car batteries.
Car batteries today aren’t like they used to be most of them don’t require as much maintenance, and some don’t even have caps that allow you to add water to the cells. Newer batteries come with extra electrolytes above the plates to compensate for any battery life losses. If your battery does have detachable caps, then you may need to add distilled or demineralized water from time to time. If a battery is charged for too long or at an excessively high voltage, some of the water in the electrolyte breaks down into hydrogen and oxygen gases. These gases escape from the cells, and this is called gassing. If the electrolyte liquid level drops too low, the plates are exposed to air and will lose capacity and be damaged. Any impurities or additives in the water will reduce the life and performance of the battery. That’s why manufacturers recommend using demineralized or distilled water, which doesn’t have high levels of minerals like potable tap water.
6. Other applications are;
Demineralized Water has applications in the fields of steam, power, process, and cooling. Swimming pools, hospitals, fertilizer, textiles, laser cutting, and production of cosmetics. Demineralized Water is used in aquariums and Constant Positive Airway Pressure Machines.
7. Demineralized water and health
Some essential elements are present in water, which are very important in human health because the modern-day diet is often not a good source of minerals needed in the human body. Some of these essential minerals are often present in the water as free ions, which are readily absorbed in water compared to that food. Research has shown that consumption of low-mineral drinking water could lead to hypertension and coronary heart disease, gastric and duodenal ulcer, chronic gastritis, goiter, pregnancy complication, and several other complications in infants.
Furthermore, the study reported that drinking low-mineral water without calcium and magnesium would result in a high rate of death from cardiovascular diseases and an increased risk of fracture in children. It decreased bone density in adults compared to those drinking regular water. Demineralized water, when consumed, has a bland taste and doesn’t quench taste quickly. In addition, cooking demineralized water can cause a considerable loss of as much as 60% of Calcium and magnesium from the food being prepared.
According to a recent recommendation from a WHO report based on current data, various researchers have recommended that the following levels of calcium, magnesium, and water hardness should be in drinking water:
• For magnesium, a minimum of 10 mg/L and an optimum of about 20-30 mg/L
• For calcium, a minimum of 20 mg/L and an optimum of about 50 (40-80) mg/L
• For total water hardness, the sum of calcium and magnesium should be 2 to 4 mmol/L. At these concentrations, minimum or no adverse health effects were observed.
WHO therefore suggests also that the minimum Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) in drinking water should be 150-300mg/L.
Where to buy Demineralized water
Looking for where to purchase demineralized water? Epoxy Oilserv has a lot of experience producing demineralized water with the appropriate technology needed to give you a quality product as we meet your needs. It is important to note that we do not recommend demineralized water for human consumption. Although it is purified, it should not be used as drinking water.
We will go the extra mile for our customers. If you would like to purchase demineralized water, please do not hesitate to call us at 08053390164 or 08053390165; alternatively, you can pop us a mail at sales@epoxyoilcom.
Differences between demineralized water and distilled water
Demineralized water, which has all its mineral /salt ions removed, is generally considered different from distilled water purified by boiling and re-condensing; this way, the salt ions, and bacteria are removed. The significant difference between demineralized and distilled water is that distilled water usually has less to no organic contaminants; demineralized does not remove uncharged molecules. Demineralized water most times has fewer mineral ions; this depends on how it is produced.
Frequently asked questions
1. Why is demineralized water not suitable for consumption?
Demineralized water has poor taste and thirst-quenching characteristics.
This is again due to its lack of minerals.
Demineralized water has been proven to have adverse health effects for humans due to the deficiency of certain constituents.
2. Can Demineralized water be used for cooking?
This water is low in minerals or has all its minerals removed; hence cooking with this water will cause a transfer of nutrients from the food to the water from which the water might be disposed, leaving the food without nutrients. Cooking with this water will therefore reduce the nutrient value of the food.
3. What are the health risks of consuming demineralized or low-mineral water?
The lists below are proven risks of demineralized water or water low in minerals:
· morphological changes in the kidneys (including more pronounced atrophy of glomeruli)
· decreased secretion of tri-iodothyronine and aldosterone
· increased body water volume
· swollen vascular endothelium limiting the blood flow
· increased secretion of cortisol
· reduced skeletal ossification in fetuses
· increased diuresis (around 20%)
· increased morbidity and mortality from cardiovascular disease
· higher risk of fracture in children
· neurodegenerative diseases
· increased elimination of minerals from the body
· low weight at birth
· pre-term birth
· hyponatremic shock or delirium
· some types of cancer
4. Can Demineralized water be used in car batteries?
Demineralized Water is also used to fill lead acid batteries used in cars and trucks because it has ions, which are not hard and, thus, not harmful to the internal engine of the automobile.
Conclusion
Demineralized Water is an ideal substitute for raw/taps water in many applications in industries where high-purity water is needed, and as mentioned in this article, they can be used in Cosmetics, Pharmaceuticals, Laboratory, Distilleries, Research technology, Hospital, Battery manufacturing, Surface cleaning, High-pressure boiler Electronics. Our specialists will gladly assist you and provide you with more information. We look forward to hearing from you. Contact us