Deionized Water vs. Distilled Water
When you’re trying to find the right water purification system, the terms you encounter may sound similar. You might assume that each system produces the same results. However, there are differences between deionized and distilled water. They use different methods to purify water, and are used by different industries.
Read on to learn more about deionized versus distilled water.
Differences between deionized and distilled water
The main difference in deionized and distilled water is how it’s produced. To create distilled water, water is boiled until it becomes a vapor. Then the vapor is condensed back into a liquid, in another container. When the water is boiled and vaporized, impurities are left behind. The newly vaporized water can liquefy into clean water in the new container. Depending on the application, your distilled water may be boiled two or three times to ensure as many impurities as possible are removed.
Deionized water is created using an ion exchange. Typically, the water is forced through a series of filters to remove large particles. They might be carbon filters, physical filters or reverse osmosis systems. The water then passes through charged resin beads, which removes the minerals in the water.
While both of them are safe for human consumption, there are a couple of key differences. Deionized water is considered “purer” than distilled water, and does not conduct electricity. Distilled water does conduct electricity.
Distillation is usually slower to complete and costs more money. That’s because not only do you need fuel and sterile storage containers, but boiling and condensing the water takes a significant amount of time. Deionization, on the other hand, ensures faster results—the water can move through filters and the charged resin beads relatively quickly.
Why choose deionized water?
Deionized water is popular in a number of industries. Manufacturing, chemical processing and cleaning electrical equipment all use deionized water for their processes.
Since the water is purer and doesn’t conduct electricity, deionized water is needed in the following industries:
- Automotive manufacturing: Since deionized water is resistant to electricity, it’s ideal as a coolant. This can increase the lifespan of an automotive motor.
- Laboratories: Laboratories need to control their water supply in order to achieve consistent results. Deionized water is pure, which makes it ideal for laboratory use.
- Pharmaceutical and medical industries: Similarly, chemists, pharmacists and other medical industries need pure water. This guarantees a consistent end product across the board, and is ideal for “water for injection.”
- Manufacturing: Deionized water’s low conductivity makes it ideal for working around machinery and other electrical components. It can be used to lower temperatures or to otherwise create consistent end products.
As you can see, there are plenty of differences between deionized and distilled water. If you’re working in an industry where purity and low conductivity is key, deionization is the better choice. On the other hand, if you simply need pure water for human consumption, distilled water is appropriate.
Not sure which type of water purification system to choose? Ultra Pure Water Technologies can help you decide. Call us today to learn more about our commercial and industrial water purification systems.
Categorised in: Deionization
This post was written by Writer