Advantages and Applications of High Shear Homogenizer

Homogenization technology has become the key to improving product quality in industries such as food, chemical, and pharmaceutical. At present, the traditional homogenization equipment used in the domestic food industry mainly includes high-pressure homogenizers, colloid mills, sand mills, and roller mills. In recent years, new types of high shear homogenizer equipment have emerged. As for the application of these homogenization devices in various industries, no one has conducted in-depth and systematic research at present. In this regard, the author compared and studied the homogenization principles, process flows of different materials, and experimental data of high-pressure homogenizers and high shear homogenizers currently used.

Principle of Taicang Xide High Shear Homogenizer:
The direct cause of particle or droplet breakage in dispersed liquid materials is the action of shear force and pressure. The specific fluid mechanics effects that cause shear force and pressure mainly include laminar flow effect, turbulent flow effect, and cavitation effect.
1. The laminar flow effect can cause shear and elongation of dispersed particles or droplets.

2. Turbulence effect is the random deformation of dispersed phase particles or droplets caused by pressure fluctuations.

3. The cavitation effect is caused by the instantaneous fragmentation of small bubbles, resulting in shock waves and intense agitation.

Introduction to the principle of high shear homogenizer:
At present, the commonly used shear homogenizer in China has a line speed of 25m/S, and many processes cannot achieve ideal results. However, the line speed of the Taicang Xide ultra high speed and high shear homogenizer can reach 66m/S, and its main components are the interlocking fixed rotor grinding head and fixed rotor. And each layer of stator and rotor has several layers.

Working principle of high shear homogenizer:

It is driven by an electric motor through a belt drive to rotate the rotating teeth (also known as the rotor) and the matching fixed teeth (also known as the stator) at high speed. The processed material is pressurized by its own weight or external pressure (which can be generated by a pump) to generate a downward spiral impact force. Through the gap between the fixed and rotating teeth of the colloid mill (adjustable gap), it is subjected to strong physical effects such as shear force, friction force, and high-frequency vibration, effectively emulsifying, dispersing, and crushing the material, achieving the effect of ultrafine crushing and emulsification of the material.
The refining effect of a grinding and dispersing machine is generally stronger than that of a homogenizer, but it has a stronger adaptability to materials such as high viscosity and large particles. Therefore, in many cases, it is used in the front of a homogenizer or in high viscosity situations.

After conducting case experiments with various customers in Taicang Xide, the effective positions for fiber crushing are shear force and grinding force. Impact force at room temperature is powerless on fibers, while high shear homogenizers can produce strong shear and grinding effects on materials. Therefore, high shear homogenizers are more suitable for processing granular materials containing more fibers and harder materials.