Demineralizing

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. The action of stripping minerals from an object occurs when essential mineral constituents are withdrawn This refers to the removal of mineral elements from a given material in various processes A method that focuses on extracting and eliminating mineral substances from a sample
2. The technique of extracting mineral substances from a material is utilized to reduce mineral content for various applications
3. The process by which mineral elements are extracted and taken away from a material

Etymology: "Demineralizing" is the present participle of "demineralize," which is formed by adding the prefix "de-" to "mineralize." The prefix comes from Latin, where "de-" carries the sense of removal or reversal, so the word literally means to take the mineral out of something. "Mineralize" itself is older and has its own shifts: in chemistry and geology it describes the process of a substance becoming infused with mineral matter, while "demineralize" describes the opposite, stripping those minerals away. The word is most familiar today in the treatment of water. Demineralized water, sometimes called deionized or distilled water, has had its dissolved salts and minerals removed, and the process is used in industrial boilers, batteries, and laboratories where mineral deposits would cause damage or interfere with results. The same logic applies in medicine and biology, where bone or tissue that loses its mineral content becomes softer and weaker.

Synonyms: depleting, removing minerals, deficiency