Recommended Blending Equipment For Alginates

The Ross Solids/Liquid Injection Manifold (SLIM) Technology is well proven for fast dispersion of alginates as well as other kinds of gums and thickeners. The SLIM is a unique rotor/stator mixer designed to create a powerful vacuum that draws and injects powders directly into a high shear mixing zone.

In conventional batch mixing systems, alginate powders are slowly added into the vortex of a vigorously agitated liquid batch. This minimizes agglomeration and in some cases, the alginate is first combined with other dry ingredients to further improve the dispersion quality. Even then, prolonged mixing is sometimes necessary to ensure complete hydration but over-shearing the gum can lead to viscosity loss or degradation due to excessive heat. By comparison, the SLIM enables rapid addition of alginates without subsequent lumping. It combines solids and liquids sub-surface at precisely the point where intense mixing takes place. The formation of lumps and “fish eyes” is greatly reduced, if not eliminated. Dispersion is virtually instantaneous and as a result of the shorter cycle time, alginate solutions and other sensitive dispersions are less prone to being overworked.