Powder Dispersion: Key to Enhanced Product Performance

 

Powder Dispersion: Key to Enhanced Product Performance

Powder dispersion, a process in which solid particles are uniformly distributed within a liquid medium, is much more complicated than it sounds. Each particle needs to be homogenously distributed and effectively interact with the liquid medium. Factors such as particle behaviour, liquid properties, and application-specific requirements must be considered. Many powders, for example, do not easily get incorporated into liquids, creating mixing challenges for manufacturers. All challenges aside, several industries, including cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, food and chemicals, need powder dispersion to manufacture their products.

How does powder dispersion work?

In the initial stage, powders are mixed with the liquids, and ideally, the former should absorb the latter without much fuss. Factors such as surface tension and particle size play critical roles in effective wetting.

If you have ever made cake or baked bread, you know that dry powders tend to clump together. A similar thing happens during powder suspension. To solve this issue, manufacturers rely on high-shear mixing or ultrasonication to break down the agglomerates into individual particles. Up next is stabilisation, a process which uses surfactants, dispersants, or other additives to prevent the individual particles from clumping again.

Besides clumping and aggregation, some of the common challenges in powder dispersion - especially when handling corrosive powders or highly viscous liquids - include poor wettability and particle sedimentation (sometimes, dispersed particles settle in low-viscosity liquids).

To handle the challenges mentioned above, measures like the following are taken:

·        High-Shear Mixers – Using high-speed rotating blades to break down clumps, these mixers ensure an even distribution of particles. These mixers are more popular in food and pharmaceutical formulations.

·        Ultrasonication – This technique uses sound waves to create cavitation bubbles within the liquid, which crushes and breaks down agglomerates. Ultrasonication is more commonly used in nano-dispersions, where achieving ultra-fine particle distribution is essential.

·        Rotor-Stator Systems – These systems use a combination of high shear with mechanical forces to deagglomerate and distribute particles effectively. This method is used primarily in highly viscous mediums.

The application of powder dispersion

·        Pharmaceuticals – Drug formulation calls for effective powder dispersion where there is no room for inconsistency in dosing.

·        Food and Beverage – Manufacturers of food and beverages such as mayonnaise, soda, salad dressings, food essence, processed dairy and fruit punch require product consistency and quality for which powder dispersion is essential.

·        Beauty and Personal Care – Most beauty products, including foundation, mattifying compacts, cheek tints and BB creams, need a balanced dispersion of colour pigments, making powder dispersion an important part of the manufacturing.

·        Paints and Coatings – In industries such as paint and ink, colour uniformity is a must, making powder dispersion important.

To sum it up, powder dispersion is not just mixing; it is about incorporating several measures, including choosing the right additives, equipment, and techniques to ensure uniform consistency in the final product. With the advancement of technology, powder dispersion has improved a lot in the last few decades, giving companies a competitive edge and meeting the increasing demands of quality-conscious consumers.

High Shear Mixer by Quadro

When it comes to liquids processing and powder dispersion, Quadro is a well-known brand. Quadro offers inline high shear mixing equipment for powder dispersion, and liquid-into-liquid mixing and homogenising equipment as well. The brand specialises in the following products:

·        Mixing equipment for beauty and personal care products - Quadro mixing equipment is designed to provide safe, effective and reliable blending solutions for the beauty industry. The equipment is designed to handle typical challenges faced by cosmetics and hygiene manufacturers, such as the hydration of thickening agents, disintegrated solids, blending liquids of different viscosities and maintaining process hygiene.

·        Pharmaceutical Mixing - Quadro Liquids industrial high shear mixing equipment complies with stringent manufacturing standards of the pharma industry, delivering integrity and safety of the products. This equipment promises maximum yield, minimum wastage, reduced de-aeration time and high-speed dispersion.

·        Industrial Food Mixing Equipment- Quadro's high-shear food mixing equipment is the preferred homogeniser of several food brands because of its performance and scalability. The equipment serves the mixing needs of the commercial food processing industry, such as dissolving sugars, disintegrating solids, working with food emulsifiers and achieving optimal food rheology.

·        Chemical mixing - Quadro's chemical mixers are used in various industries, including household and industrial cleaners, fabric softeners, detergents, oil field products, asphalt emulsions, fabric coatings, mould release agents, pesticides, lubricants, and resins. These mixers can handle powders with wettability issues, challenging thickening agents and rheology modifiers. Fun fact: Quadro HV high-shear homogenisers can produce 55 times more shear energy than conventional rotor-stator mills. The result is finer particle size, reduced process time and overall cost efficiency.

In a nutshell, Quadro mixers and dispersers deliver superb performance to their users, thanks to their single pass, inline processing.

To know more about Quadro high shear mixers and their features, visit their website today - https://www.quadroliquids.com/