Recommended Blending Equipment For Food Emulsions

Food manufacturers rely on a range of high speed mixers to accomplish various processing objectives including emulsification. High Shear Mixers, for instance, are widely used throughout the industry for preparing emulsions under 10,000 centipoise (cP). The basic single-stage design features a four-blade rotor that turns at tip speeds around 3,000-4,000 ft/min within a close tolerance fixed stator. It creates mechanical and hydraulic shear by continuously drawing product components into the rotor and expelling them radially through the openings in the stator. This turbulence generates small droplets of the dispersed phase and distributes them throughout the continuous phase. High Shear Mixers are also effective in dispersing solid additives such as thickening and weighting agents (i.e. gums) which serve to stabilize the emulsion. New models are capable of injecting powders sub-surface – a method of solids addition proven to eliminate fish eyes and shorten mix time.