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    Powder Dispersion

    Quadro Ytron® inline powder dispersion equipment offers the best solution for dispersing difficult-to-wet powders into liquids a liquid stream in a range of applications including the personal care & cosmetics, food & beverage, pharmaceutical and chemical industries.

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    What is Powder Dispersion?

    Powder dispersion is the mixing process that involves the introduction of dry material or powders into water or other liquids. A wealth of information exists on blending, solids suspension, and gas dispersion, but powder dispersion is not as well understood, which is where our knowledge and expertise can be applied to help our customers overcome their most difficult powder dispersion challenges.

    Common Challenges When Dispersing Powders into Liquids

    Process engineers are fortunate if solid material is “well behaved,” meaning the powders wet out and disperse readily. In this case, in-tank mixing is sufficient. However, well-behaved powders are a small percentage of applications; it’s more likely a process engineer faces “difficult” powder dispersion cases such as thickening agents like high-molecular-weight hydrocolloids, xanthan gum, cellulose gums, starches or proteins. These issues most commonly affect the personal care and cosmetics, pharmaceutical, and food industries.

    Two problems arise when dispersing difficult powders:

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    First, the powders float on the liquid surface, resisting efforts to wet or disperse them.

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    Second, the powders clump into impenetrable sticky masses or “fish eyes” (powder lumps with a hydrated skin and dry core).

    Systems that use the conventional in-tank mixing suffer from long batch times, powder buildup and waste during tank cleanup. Traditional rotor-stator dispersing mixers apply inconsistent particle shear distribution, which can be problematic as it leads to unreproducible results and air entrainment.

    Quadro® Powder Dispersion Techniques


    The Quadro Ytron® ZC Disperser is uniquely engineered to incorporate and disperse extremely difficult-to-wet powders into a liquid stream in a single pass.

    It addresses the issues summarized above by utilizing powder dispersion techniques in the liquid phase in the piping, rather than in the process vessel itself. A single-pass inline process allows not only for the controlled introduction of powders but also for the controlled application of shear. Powders are intensely sheared prior to hydration, producing homogeneous dispersions that are completely free of lumps and “fish eyes.”

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    Zc Inline Powder Disperser

    Direct application of powder to a process line has these advantages over in-tank mixing:

    • No waiting for the wetting of floating powders, thus improving process efficiency and saving time and money
    • No buildup on the tank wall, mixer shaft, or baffles which reduces cleaning time, thus lowering the risk of cross-contamination, and eliminating powder loss – the ZC is capable of powder savings of up to 30%, compared to processing with in-tank or other inline high shear technologies
    • Less air is entrained, eliminating the time required to de-aerate and/or the need to install expensive de-aerating equipment
    • The same results can be achieved batch after batch, enabling scale up to larger volumes
    • Overprocessing to remove lumps is eliminated, which is especially important with heat- or shear-sensitive products
    • No energy is wasted on circulating multiple passes of fluid through an in-tank dispersing system, making your process more cost and time-efficient
    • Batch time reductions as high as 75% can be realized with the Quadro Ytron® ZC Powder Disperser technology. Even with difficult products such as hydrocolloid gums, cellulose gums and carbomers, you achieve complete dispersion in a single pass.

    Ready to reduce waste and maximize your yield with our powerful powder dispersion equipment?

    Our team has many years of experience supporting a range of liquid mixing and powder dispersion requirements with equipment that is scalable and designed to meet 3-A® sanitary mixer standards.

    Contact our team of experts today for more information about our industry-leading powder dispersion equipment or if you’re ready to make a decision you can request a quote.

    Request a Quote Contact Our Team

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