The Difference Between Mineral and Demineralized Water

Water is a resource that plays an important role in various aspects of life, including supporting operational processes across different industrial sectors. However, not all water has the same characteristics.

Talking about water, have you ever heard of mineral water and demineralized water? Mineral water and demineralized water have different contents and functions. Therefore, their use needs to be adjusted to suit the application, ranging from daily consumption to production processes that require a certain level of purity.

Knowing this, industry players need to understand the difference between mineral water and demineralized water before deciding on their use, because choosing the right type of water affects production smoothness and the quality of the final product.

This article discusses the differences between mineral and demineralized water and explains why many companies use demineralized water in industrial operations. Make sure to read through the discussion until the end!

Differences Between Mineral and Demineralized Water

Mineral water and demineralized water can be distinguished by looking at their characteristics. Here is an explanation of the aspects that set them apart:

1. Definition

Mineral water is a type of water that comes from natural springs or deep wells that have undergone limited processing. Usually, mineral water is filtered only to remove microorganisms, without altering its original mineral content.

On the other hand, demineralized water has undergone a purification process using specific technology. This technology uses various media, such as electric fields and porous membranes, that affect the water's mineral content.

2. Source

Next, the difference between mineral and demineralized water can be seen from their sources. Mineral water comes from beneath the earth's surface, usually from areas where the soil is rich in minerals.

Meanwhile, demineralized water can come from various sources, ranging from groundwater and wells to surface water. This water is then processed using certain purification technologies, such as distillation, deionization, reverse osmosis (RO), or electrodialysis.

3. Mineral Content

Mineral water contains minerals like calcium, magnesium, and sodium in higher amounts than regular groundwater. In addition, mineral water can also contain carbon dioxide and various other substances, such as iron, potassium, sulfur, and fluoride, in higher concentrations.

On the other hand, the mineral content in demineralized water is generally lost or drastically reduced. This occurs due to the use of purification technologies, as previously mentioned.

4. Function

Since mineral water has a high mineral content, it is widely used for consumption purposes, such as drinking and cooking.

Meanwhile, demineralized water is mostly used in industrial, laboratory, automotive, medical, and electronic fields. Its low mineral content helps reduce the risk of corrosion, deposits, and contamination on various equipment and materials.

5. Sensation and Taste

It is possible to differentiate between industrial demineralized water and mineral water based on taste and sensation. Mineral water tends to feel more pronounced in the mouth because of its higher mineral content. However, its taste is relatively fresh. On the other hand, demineralized water feels lighter and tastes more neutral compared to mineral water.

Differences Between Demineralized Water and Distilled Water

There are several methods to purify water. Two of them are demineralization and distillation. Demineralization produces demineralized water, while distillation produces distilled water.

As mentioned earlier, demineralized water has very low mineral content or sometimes none at all. Even so, this water might still contain bacteria and viruses.

On the other hand, distilled water is generally free from bacteria, viruses, suspended particles, organic materials, and various other contaminants. This is because distillation involves heating and condensation, so the water you get is relatively pure.

Is Demineralized Water Potable?

Demin water can be consumed, but it is best not to make it your main drinking water source, especially in the long term. However, if demineralized water is the only drinking water available, it is important to meet your body’s mineral needs from other sources, such as nutritious food or trace mineral supplements.

The Process of Making Demineralized Water

Demineralized water is processed using certain purification technologies. Here are a few of them, along with an overview of each process:

A. Distillation

Distillation is a water purification process that involves evaporating water and then condensing it back into a liquid. Here is how distillation works:

Heat the water until it boils.
The water evaporates, but most of the salts and dissolved minerals remain in the container during heating.
The vapor is captured and collected.
The vapor is cooled until it condenses back into liquid.

B. Deionization

Deionization (DI) is known to be quite complex, so it is more often used in industrial, manufacturing, laboratory, and large-scale commercial settings.

Deionization uses a resin, a special material that acts as an ion exchanger. There are two types of resin used: cation (+) and anion (-) resins. Here is an overview of the deionization process:

Water flows through both positive and negative resins.
The resin captures mineral ions in the water. Positive ions like Ca²⁺ are retained by the anion resin, while negative ions like Cl^- are retained by the cation resin.
In return, the resin releases H⁺ and OH^-, which do not add minerals to the water.
H⁺ and OH^- combine to form H₂O.
The resulting water contains very few minerals. These minerals have been replaced by the water’s own components (H₂O).

C. Reverse Osmosis (RO)

In RO, water is filtered through a semipermeable membrane that allows only certain substances to pass through. RO works through the following steps:

Water is pressurized to pass through the semipermeable membrane.
The water passes through and becomes purer.
Minerals, salts, and other dissolved substances are retained on the other side of the membrane.

D. Electrodialysis

Electrodialysis is a water purification method that uses an electric field and special membranes. Here is how the process goes:

Water flows through special membranes while an electric field is applied.
Since the mineral ions in water carry an electric charge, the electric field attracts these ions in a certain direction.
The membrane helps separate the mineral ions from the water. As a result, the mineral content in the water decreases.

Trusted Industrial Water Solutions from CDI

The role of demineralized water in industry shouldn’t be underestimated because it affects operational productivity. That’s why the processing needs to run efficiently to ensure results meet standards and can fulfill various needs.

If you need demineralized water treatment solutions for your industrial operations, you can trust PT Chandra Daya Investasi Tbk (CDI).

Through its affiliate, PT Krakatau Tirta Industri (KTI), CDI provides high-quality demineralized water solutions for industrial applications. With this service, KTI operates several facilities, including:

WTP (Water Treatment Plant): A plant that treats raw water into demineralized water according to industrial needs. KTI has operated a Demin WTP for PT Merak Chemical Indonesia (formerly known as PT Mitsubishi Chemical Indonesia).
WRP (Water Recycle Plant): An installation for recycling wastewater so it can be reused. Once recycled, the water is used as raw water to produce demineralized water.
O&M (Operation & Maintenance): Management services for the installation, including the supply of chemicals, workforce management, plant maintenance, and operational supervision.

Since 1979, KTI has strongly committed to delivering innovative and efficient water solutions. All of its processes involve advanced and cutting-edge technology.

CDI and KTI are ready to be #YourGrowthPartner as reliable industrial water providers and supporters of environmental sustainability.