Creating a stable emulsion can be a difficult task even when using emulsifiers, but it is a critical stage in the production of many products. The consistency, quality, shelf life and appearance of the products are very much dependent on the stability of the emulsion.

To form a stable emulsion, regardless of whether you are producing an oil-in-water or water-in-oil emulsion, you need to get the droplet size as small as possible. Mixing equipment must use a large amount of energy. The more shear energy is used, the smaller the droplets become, creating a thin, stable emulsion in which both phases are completely and evenly dispersed one into the other.

Traditional mixers and stirrers, which are suitable for mixing liquid with liquid, cannot form a stable emulsion, because they do not have the necessary means to use a large amount of energy in the production of an emulsion. This type of mixing equipment simply moves the two liquid phases around the vessel, so although it may appear that the phases have mixed, the droplet size has not significantly decreased, so as soon as the mixing stops, the emulsion will soon separate into two parts.

High-shear mixing exposes the liquid to intense action, which sufficiently reduces the droplet size and allows the two phases to combine, resulting in a stable emulsion that does not separate after the mixer is turned off. Silverson's high shear rotor/stator mixer design is ideal for this application and easily produces emulsions with droplet sizes from 2 to 5 microns. Depending on the formulation, smaller emulsions up to 0.5 microns in size can be obtained.

Silverson Machines offers a range of flow and submersible mixers widely used for the preparation of emulsions, from laboratory installations to equipment for large-scale production.

 Please contact us for more detailed information.