Ultrasonic High Speed Batch Mixers
- Wetting, hydration, homogenization, grinding, dispersion, emulsification and dissolving are common applications for Hielscher’s ultrasonic high speed batch mixers.
- Ultrasonic batch mixing is carried out at high speed with reliable, reproducible results for outstanding process results at lab, bench-top and full commercial production scale.
- Hielscher’s multipurpose batch homogenizers offer you the high speed mixing of uniform solid/liquid and liquid/liquid mixtures answering highest product quality.
High Speed Batch Mixing with Ultrasound High Shear Forces
Ultrasonic homogenizers are the cutting-edge solution for your batch and inline mixing applications such as for the incorporation of solids, the preparation of homogeneous dispersions, the deagglomeration and size reduction of particles, hydration, solubility and rapid blending. Hielscher’s ultrasonic machines handles sub-micron & nano materials as well as fibers – resulting in reliable processing and output of highest quality. The major advantages of ultrasonic mixing is its easy use with abrasive materials, its simple installation in demanding environments, e.g. under corrosive conditions, as well as the fast and destruction-less cleaning (CIP/SIP) and a significantly lower energy consumption than competitive technologies (e.g. rotor-stator mixers, jet mixers, high shear mixers, Ultraturrax).
Ultrasonic Cavitation
When high energetic ultrasound waves are coupled into liquids and slurries, alternating high pressure/ low pressure cycles (e.g. 20,000 cycles per sec at 20kHz) generate vacuum bubbles or voids in the liquid. These bubbles grow over several cycles until they collapse violently as they cannot absorb more energy. During the bubble implosion, locally extreme conditions are generated: temperatures of up to 5,000K, pressures of up to 2,000atm and liquid jets of up to 280m/s velocity. This phenomenon is termed cavitation. Ultrasonic cavitation is successfully applied to fulfill manifold mixing, milling and grinding applications, e.g. to process colloids, powders, fluids, oils, grease, resins, epoxies, pigment pastes, inks, paints, silicones, creams, gels, polymers, urethanes and many more.
Ultrasonic batch processing
- highly uniform dispersion
- nano particles
- processing of abrasive materials
- high viscosities (pastes, high particle loads)
- time savings of up to 90%
- full process control
- completely linear scale-up
- full reproducibility
- aqueous and solvents (ATEX available)
Why Ultrasonics? – For Full Process Control
Ultrasonic mixing allows you to control all important process parameters precisely. This is crucial to achieve optimal process results whilst operating most efficiently.
- Ultrasonic Amplitude:
- Pressure:
- Sonication Duration:
- Temperature:
- Viscosity:
The displacement of the horizontal areas at the sonotrode (ultrasonic horn/ probe) can be adjusted to the process requirements by the power setting of the ultrasonic device, the selection of the sonotrode and by the use of a booster horn.
Applying pressure to the sonication process acts process-intensifying, and is known as manosonication (MS). The ultrasonic cavitation under elevated pressures becomes more intense and violent increasing. Therefore, Hielscher offers pressurizable closed batch reactors.
As a general rule, the longer the sonication duration, the more progress of the process, e.g. of size reduction, dispersion etc. will appear – provided that enough intensity is applied to affect the process medium.
Ultrasonic is a non-thermal, mechanical processing technique. Due to the law of thermodynamics, though, energy coupled into matter will always end up in heat. However, the outstanding energy efficiency of Hielscher’s ultrasonicators ensure that approx. 95% of all energy from the plug will converted into ultrasound waves and are coupled into the process medium.
The viscosity of the process medium is an important factor for ultrasonic processing. For applications such as particle size reduction, milling, and dispersion, the inter-particle collision caused by cavitational shockwaves is one of the main process effects that causes particle breakage, a high particle load is beneficial.
To determine the optimal process conditions (= best result with minimum energy input required), the above named parameters must be established in accordance to the targeted process goal.
Feasibility testing and process optimization can be easily carried out in lab and bench-top scale. All achieved results can be exactly reproduced and scaled-up linearly to production size. Hielscher Ultrasonics offers you professional consultancy and a fully equipped process lab where we can optimize the process with you or for you!
Hielscher is your expert for ultrasonic process solutions. Contact us today, we are glad to recommend you the suitable unit to solve your application needs!