How is distilled water made?

The process of making distilled water works by boiling water and recovering its gaseous form. In other words, the water is brought to a boil and the steam is circulated through cold water. By passing through the cold water, the water vapour returns to its liquid form. It is this recovered water that will be distilled.

Although the production of distilled water creates water that is free of minerals and microorganisms, it is not necessarily sterile. Unless the water is distilled in a controlled, sterile environment, the ambient environment has an impact on the composition of the distilled water since spores or organisms in the air can settle into the water.

In addition, the contact of the water vapour with the ambient air causes dissolved CO2 to be absorbed by the water and form acid species. This is why distilled water has an acidic character and a pH of 5.4.

It is therefore important to point out that distilled water is not pure water consisting only of H2O molecules.

The uses of distilled water

Because it is devoid of minerals, it is not advisable to consume distilled water since minerals are necessary for the proper functioning of the human body.

It is generally in uses where the water is heated that we find the most advantages to using distilled water. Due to the absence of minerals, distilled water does not form scaling on equipment. This is why it is used in batteries to dilute or form acid, in cooling systems or for sterilization of certain types of equipment, such as pharmaceutical equipment. In short, it is ideal wherever the formation of mineral deposits can have an impact on the integrity and operation of equipment.