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Distilled water is water that has undergone a process of evaporation and condensation of the steam obtained for purification through a process called distillation. Therefore, it is a purer water than what we find in nature and it serves us for many aspects of our day to day life, even if we are not very aware of it.
If you want to discover more about this type of water, do not hesitate to continue reading, because in this Green Ecologist article we explain what is distilled water for and how to make it. Learn about the uses of distilled water and much more with this practical guide.
What is distilled water - simple definition
Distilled water is a type of purified water which is obtained through a distillation process consisting of the boiling and evaporation of water with impurities in a still and the subsequent collection of the condensed water vapor that has been generated. The source water for preparing distilled water can come from a variety of sources, such as the tap, the sea, snow, rivers and streams, plants, or wells.
As the water evaporates, impurities are removed present in it, whether they are salts, minerals, metals or potentially harmful microorganisms. This is what differentiates distilled water from filtered water, where microbes but not all minerals are removed.
Although, with water distillationAs most minerals and metals are discarded, the purity of the source water is still important because certain impurities (for example, heavy metals such as mercury or volatile organic compounds), evaporate together with the water and are not removed from the distilled water. obtained, so they cannot be removed correctly with this process.
To learn more about the process to obtain distilled water, we recommend reading these two articles by Green Ecologist on What is water evaporation and examples and What is water condensation and examples.
What is distilled water for - properties and uses
The properties of distilled water are the same as normal water without purification, except that, as mentioned above, they lack a large amount of the minerals present in the water prior to distillation, as well as many contaminants originally present in it. Due to the absence of minerals, distilled water is characterized by it does not have flavor. In addition, when the distillation process has been recent, the pH of the distilled water is close to neutral, that is, close to pH 7, although after a while, the distilled water absorbs carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and its pH decreases. up to 5.8.
Humans have been producing distilled water since ancient times through the process of distilling water. We have produced it for so long because it is so useful to us. But, what is distilled water for exactly? These are the uses of distilled water:
- Distilled water for human consumption: A priori, distilled water is suitable for human consumption, since the distillation process produces cleaner and purer water than it was originally and is safe to drink. However, being purified, it lacks the minerals naturally present in water, since these are not volatile and are excluded with the evaporation of the water. This is why, although professionals maintain that most of the minerals necessary to maintain good health are obtained from food, distilled water is not the healthiest form of water to drink. Only in the case of water contaminated by heavy metals or chemicals such as fluorides or organic compounds, it could be more beneficial to drink it as opposed to non-distilled water. In ships, distilled water is often produced from seawater for consumption. However, it should also be noted that distilled water, and especially that obtained by home distillation processes, can sometimes contain chemical contaminants from the still.
- Distilled water is used in experiments and laboratory work: Generally, tap water is not suitable for carrying out tests and analyzes in the laboratory, but if it is subjected to a distillation process, it can be used in numerous activities such as the preparation of solutions, calibration and sterilization. of equipment, as an analytical blank, in the cleaning of glassware or for the preparation of high purity water.
- Because distilled water is devoid of minerals, it is often used in cars and appliances, such as steam irons and hot water urns, as in humidifiers and vaporizers, as it helps to avoid the accumulation of minerals, unlike what can happen when using tap water.
- Distilled water too can be used in aquariums to avoid the introduction of contaminants or microorganisms present in tap water, but in this case, it is necessary to add mineral supplements along with the food of the organisms that live there to maintain their good health.
- Distilled water can also be used in the plant watering.
- It can also be used in certain medical devices, such as continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) devices used to treat sleep apnea.
- Is used by breweries homemade to mimic the type of water used in Pilsner-type beers.
How to make distilled water step by step
Now that you know what is distilled water for and its uses various, we will explain how to make distilled water step by step. There are several methods of making distilled water, which depend on the means available for this purpose and the source from which the water comes. All these methods are based on the principle of separating the components of the original mixture according to their various boiling points. To do this, the water is heated to its Boiling point, so that the chemical compounds that evaporate at lower temperatures are collected and discarded and the substances whose boiling points are at higher temperatures remain in the container after the evaporation of the water. Thus, the collected distilled water has a higher purity than the original water.
One of the ways in which water can be distilled is by using an oven, stove or grill, for which you need a large container of water (stainless steel or aluminum), as well as other smaller containers (glass or metal) that float in the water contained in the larger container, ice and a pointed lid that serves to cover the large container. If you want make distilled water at home and you get these materials, follow these steps:
- Fill the larger container with water, inside which you have to place the small containers, which will remain floating.
- Light the fire and cover the large container with the inverted lid.
- Heat the water to a high temperature, reaching its boiling point so that the water begins to evaporate. As a consequence of this, the water vapor will condense on the surface of the inverted lid; To facilitate the condensation process, ice can be placed on the outside of the lid.
- The drops of condensed water vapor on the inverted lid will fall on the floating containers, which serve to collect the distilled water obtained.
- When the water has completely evaporated and the distilled water has collected in the small containers, turn off the heat and remove the containers.
- Save the distilled water that you have obtained. To do this, keep in mind that this water must be kept in containers intended for long-term storage and previously clean (and, when possible, sterilized), in order to ensure that it is not contaminated. In addition, when preparing distilled water, you must also be careful not to contaminate it during its production process, as could happen when using equipment with the presence of contaminants that could pass from glass or other material into water, so it is necessary use materials or instruments that are very clean or, preferably, sterilized.
Now that you know well what distilled water is, you may also be interested in knowing what drinking water is and its characteristics.
If you want to read more articles similar to What is distilled water for and how to make it, we recommend that you enter our category of Other environment.
