The water deionisation unit has fast become the standard water purification process for many industries, largely as a result of the level of purity of the water it produces, and the wide range of applications for such a high purity product. Deionisation of water involves passing the raw water through two stages of ion exchange that remove all impurities in the water at an ionic level and release hydrogen and hydroxyl ions into the water for chemical balance. These released ions then combine to form a molecule of water with no ionic signature. The water produced by this deionisation process also sits at a pH level of 7 on the pH scale, perfectly neutral.

Here are four important reasons to consider investing in a deionisation plant when you next upgrade your water purification system:

1) Purity

The purity of the water from the deionisation process is the highest possible purity from any known water purification system in the world. It is free of bacteria (when combined with reverse osmosis or filtration pre-treatment) and absolutely free of dissolved minerals, which is why it records a pH level of 7, indicating utmost purity and sterility.

While deionisation, when used in conjunction with other purification processes, will yield pure water, without deionisation in any water purification process, the water is still likely to contain a biological, chemical and electrical impurity. This almost absolute purity of the water from a deionisation process makes the water desirable in a number of applications, including electronics and pharmaceutical manufacturing.

2) Energy Needs

The deionisation unit, when compared to other water purification systems and units, is considered to be an energy-efficient technology because it requires less energy to carry out a far more technologically superior purification process. This means that in the long run, the differences in energy needs for facilities using distillation and deionisation will not be marginal or even irrelevant.

Facilities that use other types of water purification techniques in their water processing potentially face a much larger power bill for using a system that produces water with only an average purity level, or in other words, redundant technology. In the case of treating brackish water, for instance, a capacitive deionisation process works by removing the salt ions from the water, while the other technologies extract the water from the salt solution, a process that is more tedious and tells on the energy bill.

3) Output

Slow output has always been a problem with water purification systems. Techniques like distillation could slow down purified water output significantly and this could be a problem in facilities where large amounts of purified water are needed frequently and urgently. Industrial deionisation units quickly and neatly solve this problem. The process of deionisation typically takes less time, and with the right components, these units can deliver as much as 500 gallons of water per minute and even more, depending on the size of the plant.

The output of these deionisation units makes them ideal for applications where the purity of the water is as paramount as the output rate. In factories where water with a high level of purity is needed to frequently cool down metal parts of a machine or parts vulnerable to corrosion, a low output water purifier installation could ultimately result in overheating, malfunction or even an explosion or a fire, hence the benefit of a water deioniser.

4) Applications

The sheer number of applications for which deionised water is suited makes it the most suitable water purification system for a larger number of installations. Deionisation units can be installed in industrial capacities in facilities that need them, and yet there are also deionisation units for use in homes and other domestic applications. Almost all industries that use process water require this water in its purest form, with the highest level of electrical and chemical integrity. This is because small impurities in terms of chemical imbalances or low resistivity in the water can significantly alter the final results and skew potentially expensive and carefully executed hours or even years of research work. 

In cooling systems, water that has not been deionised cannot be used as a cooling agent in equipment such as high power lasers and medical equipment. This is because the mineral content can interfere with the optimal running of such equipment because it is still electrically active.

In pharmaceutical applications an ionic impurity may reduce the potency of manufactured drugs, causing a chain reaction of unplanned, undesirable side effects for the consumers and huge sums of money lost for the pharmaceutical company in recalls, compensation payments, and legal sanctions.

In electrical fires, normal water or water that has not been deionised is not recommended for putting out such fires at all because of its high conductivity. It may result in electric shock if it makes contact with the person trying to put out the fire, endangering human life.

Get A Better ROI From Your Water Purification Plant

In industrial water purification, there are many reasons for which a deionisation process is more cost-effective, less potentially dangerous, and more energy efficient than other technologies. There are abundant reasons why facilities that still purify water with other outdated technologies need to upgrade their water purification equipment – not least the positive ROI that can rapidly be attained by incorporating DI equipment into your purification process.

To discuss the specific benefits of deionisation for your business, please get in touch with one of our technical sales team today. You may also like to look through our Guide To Industrial Deionisation Systems, a free eBook which can be downloaded by clicking here.