Many industrial processes require the incorporation of dry powders into liquids. Unfortunately, the powder induction phase is among the trickiest of steps in any such process. To say that powders often resist hydration and smooth mixing is an understatement.
Difficulties with powder incorporation can lead to problems ranging from the formation of clumps and fish eyes to wasted raw materials, extended mixing times and clogged machinery. Clogged machinery, in turn, can quickly result in extended and costly downtime as workers interrupt the production schedule to clean the machinery manually.
Of course, not all powders are so demanding, but many industries such as pharmaceutical or food & beverage, must work with notoriously challenging powders. Examples include thickening agents such as high-molecular-weight hydrocolloids, cellulose gums, starches and proteins.
Whether you are in the food & beverage, personal care & cosmetics, or pharmaceutical industries, the quality of your final products depends on uniformity and consistency. And your bottom line depends on achieving this level of homogenization as quickly and efficiently as possible. Often, it all begins with the powder induction process.
If difficult-to-disperse ingredients are among your processing challenges, it makes sense to invest in machinery designed to facilitate this key step. At Quadro Liquids, we specialize in single-pass, inline high shear mixing equipment. Our machines excel at tasks such as powder incorporation and dispersion into liquids, liquid-into-liquid mixing and homogenizing.
We avoid the many pitfalls inherent to conventional in-tank mixing by taking a more innovative approach to this step. Rather than risk random, uncontrollable shear rates, overprocessing and incomplete dispersion, we reimagined the powder dispersion phase of the process.
Our mixing solutions are simple, yet elegant: our powder induction mixing machines use inline processing. Our Continuous Dispersion System (CDS), exemplified by the Quadro Ytron® ZC powder disperser, continuously disperses powders into a controlled liquid stream before incorporation into the process stream. Powders are subjected to high-shear tooling before reaching the liquid stream, which allows for intense and well-controlled powder shearing action before hydration.
This solution means you can achieve dispersion and hydration far more quickly —reducing batch times by up to 90%. CDS also slashes air entrainment, so you’ll devote less time to deaeration. It eliminates the formation of dreaded fish eyes, clumps, and lumps.
Of course, our products are designed with full scalability in mind, so you can depend on accurate and predictable processing from pilot runs to full production runs. Our machines also feature stainless steel construction for 3-A® Sanitary Standard compliance. We even feature no-tool disassembly, to further streamline cleaning and changeover processes.
Powder dispersion into liquids using a powder induction mixer represents a production hurdle for many industries. But this challenging step need not be difficult. Quadro Liquids has the solution - single-pass inline powder dispersion that allows you to control both powder incorporation and powder shear.
For more information regarding how we can help streamline your processes, contact us here. Our experienced sales personnel will respond promptly and work to help you improve your process.