The Quadro Ytron® ZC inline high shear mixer makes quick work of incorporating difficult-to-disperse ingredients, excelling at powder dispersion - the integration of difficult-to-wet granular solids into a liquid stream.Thanks to its unique engineering, the Ytron® ZC accomplishes this difficult dispersion/integration task in a single pass, making it an indispensable tool among industries as diverse as pharmaceuticals, food processing, chemicals and personal care/cosmetics.
Of course, in-tank mixing suffices in the rare instances when a solid material will readily disperse in a given liquid. The more likely scenario to use the ZC is a situation in which integrating a solid powder into a liquid is not as simple. For example, thickening agents such as high-molecular-weight hydrocolloids, cellulose gums, starches and proteins are notoriously difficult to disperse without the creation of segregated phases, or clumps known as “fish-eyes.” In these instances, process engineers usually turn to Quadro for solutions, and the Quadro Ytron® ZC is the answer.
The cosmetics industry is an excellent example of a business that routinely requires the superior powder dispersion capabilities of the Ytron® ZC. Conventional industrial in-tank mixers struggle to incorporate fine particles into liquids, as is often needed to achieve smooth final product consistencies when manufacturing cosmetics. The production of “foundation” provides an excellent example. Uniform color and fragrance dispersion, and an absence of any clumps, are crucial to the success of this and other cosmetics.
Customers judge such products on the basis of their silky smooth feel — and reliably uniform appearance — and would quickly reject any perceived imperfections caused by poor mixing.
Single-pass processing with the ZC is less likely to entrap air, eliminating (or reducing) the need to perform time-consuming de-aeration. This helps avoid over-processing, which can be a concern when working with ingredients sensitive to shear forces and/or heating.
Single-pass dispersion and mixing also result in reduced batch times, less energy expended and superior repeatability. Powder loss (resulting in waste) can be reduced by about one-third by using the ZC versus a standard rotor/stator inline mixer.
If you’re interested in discovering how an inline powder disperser from Quadro can help decrease your batch times (up to 90 percent in some cases) and improve your process, fill out our simple Request-a-Quote form — and a member of our technical sales staff will contact you promptly.