13 Comments

I've performed vacuum distillation in laboratory and the residuals (due to salts and metals) look exactly the same. I'd need a lot of time to dig and find the photographs, but that said, the crystal pattern and formation is typical from work I've done in the lab with respect to clean water processing for vacuum compression distillation crystallization work. Crystallization is complex and there are two main types.

Note, we also had one vacuum distiller prototype explode in chemical fume hood with a leak occurred and was rapidly plugged, which rapidly drew down the vacuum at high temperature, which vaporized a ton of water instantly, ruptured glass prototype vessel (used to visually explore the distillation effectiveness with various vacuum-driven compressors) and that resulted in the patterns you're seeing as well (but this was with industrial waste water).

The lab work successfully progressed to the field where we demonstrated a steady-state vacuum compression distillation module that could process a barrel of dirty industrial water per day. We also went through National Science Foundation (NSF) I-Corps program at LSU in Baton Rouge, LA USA with the work after the initial lab prototyping work was completed and validated to remove the impurities (our focus was on Chemical Oxygen Demand COD).

Note, if you're not blowing stuff up when prototyping there is something wrong, cause that is the nature of prototyping. However, the amount of energy released when a high temperature salt/brine/water mixture is rapidly pulled under vacuum is quite impressive (from a very small leak/pin-hole sized leak that was plugged, went against intuition, e.g. that such a small leak would result in a rupture when plugged). Using off the shelf coffee pot or distillers is best for what you're doing (safest).

Hope this helps add some perspective, based upon actual distillation experience.

Expand full comment

So, I distill my water too. A question that I think about is does anything survive the distilling process? Does the water I have AFTER distilling it, that I drink. Does anything remain in the steam that turns back to water?

Expand full comment
author
Apr 14·edited Apr 14Author

I haven't detected anything utilizing my method. I do the same dry test, and microscopy.

Expand full comment

Yes, there is carry-over in the steam. I was at a round table meeting with Dean Kamen ( https://www.firstinspires.org/about/leadership/dean-kamen ), at his prototyping site on North East coast, regarding his work on a free piston sterling heat engine driven distiller unit and the conclusion was that two pass best to pull the overhead impurities out. So, you first distill the water, the majority of impurities drop out in bottom and then the steam with volatile organic compounds VOCs and other materials (carry-over) go into the condenser for the first stage. Then you have to cut (distill at a different temperature or pressure or combination) to slice out the VOC impurities.

First cut is for the heavy material to drop out the bottom

Second cut is for the lighter material than water (e.g. boiling point less than water)

You still may have residual that interacts with water, but this two cut/step method is best.

Expand full comment

24 hours in a day. Simplicity is an amazing concept. If I get 99% removal by doing nothing else, I am very happy and I can move on with my other tasks of the day.

Expand full comment

Simplicity is key, adversarial AI will still try to disrupt that.

Expand full comment
author
Apr 14Author

Ai was conquered once before. And yes, it was a fierce battle, mainly due to the fear of men who forgot they accomplished more incredible feats. However, when men of courage were sent in to do the work, the cowards paid with their lives. A.i. was conquered and driven out. Mankind is suffering from generational amnesia. Thank you, Brandon, for your in-depth input.

Expand full comment

Ok, cool. It’s the way my brain works lol. Thank you for clarifying for me.

Expand full comment

What do you mean “by doing nothing”? I use the Berkey and the water that gets purified through the Berkey I put in my distiller and my distiller has a BOC charcoal filter that goes right into the spout where the steam is now condensed and back, turned back into water, so the VOCs go through that before it goes into my system. I’m hoping to not have to run my distilled water through my distiller again, but if that’s what I have to do that’s what I’ll do. The water here in South Carolina since we’ve moved here two years ago, I can tell there’s something in the water that messes with peoples endocrine system. It’s quite concerning and I’m trying to protect my children. I’ll definitely distilled twice if I have more information would be greatly appreciated.

Expand full comment

I meant doing nothing "else" than using the distiller, which is definitely superior to all other methods of cleaning our water.

Expand full comment

Yikes. Nice work. What's your brand of distiller? Cheers, Rod

Expand full comment

is that normal?

Expand full comment

No, not at all.

Water should be just water.

All that white gunk, whatever it is, is not water.

Expand full comment