Monday, November 28, 2011

Understanding The Procedure For Water Purification - The Invention Of Demineralizers

By Antoine Paige


A demineralizer is generally a device employed in the purification of water. It usually is a cylindrical tank that features connections at the top for water inlet and resin addition and connections at the bottom for the water outlet. As water naturally consists of minerals that are harmful for humans and animals, the use of these devices has made it possible for water to be treated to a potable state.

As proven in different writings dating back to 2000 BC and written by ancient Greeks and Sanskrit, water purification is a process long known and employed by our ancestors. Back then, boiling of water is the most common way of water purification used in order to create better tasting as well as better smelling potable water. Along with boiling, filtration and straining methods were also used to more effectively remove contaminants and minimize turbidity in water.

Over time, more experiments were made to improve the process of water purification. Most notable among these experiments are the discovery of the principles of coagulation in 1500 BC by the Egyptians, the invention of the Hippocratic sleeve in 500 BC by Hippocrates, the establishment of aqueducts by the Assyrians during the 7th Century BC, and Archimedes' invention of the water screw. The use of demineralizers, on the other hand, began its history with the discovery of microorganisms in water by Anton van Leeuwenhoek in 1676. Throughout the years that followed, people began to understand more about the dangers of drinking water contaminants.

As mentioned, water, in its natural state, contains minerals that are harmful for both humans and animals. These minerals include calcium, magnesium, sodium, alkalinity, chlorides, sulfates, nitrates, and silica. These minerals are not only harmful to living organisms, they can also harm industrial pipes by causing corrosion, scale building, precipitation in chemical products, and other related problems. Also, untreated water has poor taste and thirst-quenching characteristics due to its lack of certain minerals. Various studies have also shown that consumption of demineralized water results in the increased secretion of cortisol, reduced skeletal ossification in fetuses, higher risks of fractures in children, and neurodegenerative diseases.

Increase in awareness and knowledge of people regarding the different contaminants found in water causing various diseases resulted to the different purification methods we now employ. Among these methods, demineralization can be considered as the most common and most practical way of dissolving and removing harmful elements in water. This method uses different water softeners and demineralizers essential to dissolve various contaminants. Along with these, the process also include allowing water to be purified to enter the top of the device at a set flow rate down through the resin beads where the flow path causes a physical filter effect as well as chemical ion exchange that purifies water down through the resin beads where the flow path causes a physical filter effect as well as chemical ion exchange that purifies water.

Water is one of the most important needs of humans necessary for living. This needs to be clean and safe from contaminants which may cause different diseases. The demineralizer is therefore an important and essential invention that had help humans to create safe and potable drinking water.



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