Equipment Selection: How to Choose a Suitable Liquid Emulsifier?

Q3: What factors should be considered when selecting a liquid emulsifier for different industry needs?

• Material Viscosity: For low-viscosity materials (e.g., liquid detergents, thin sauces), a high-shear pipeline emulsifier is suitable, as it can achieve continuous production and high efficiency. For high-viscosity materials (e.g., creams, pastes), a batch-type emulsifier with a jacketed kettle (for temperature control) and a high-torque motor is more appropriate to avoid equipment overload.
• Emulsion Particle Size Requirement: If the product requires ultra-fine droplets (e.g., pharmaceutical injections, nano-emulsions), an ultra-high-shear emulsifier (with a rotation speed of 10,000-30,000 rpm) or an emulsifier with a homogenizing valve should be selected. For general industrial products (e.g., common coatings), a medium-shear emulsifier (rotation speed of 3,000-8,000 rpm) can meet the demand.
• Production Scale: Small-scale production (e.g., laboratory R&D, small-batch cosmetics) can use bench-top emulsifiers (volume of 1-50 L). Large-scale industrial production (e.g., food factories, chemical plants) requires large-capacity batch emulsifiers (volume of 100-1,000 L) or continuous pipeline emulsifiers to ensure production efficiency.
• Hygiene Standards: For food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industries, emulsifiers made of 316L stainless steel (with good corrosion resistance and easy cleaning) and equipped with sanitary-grade seals (e.g., tri-clamp connections) should be selected to meet GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) requirements. For industrial chemical production, carbon steel or 304 stainless steel equipment can be used to reduce costs.

Q4: What are the differences between batch-type and continuous-type liquid emulsifiers, and in which scenarios are they respectively applicable?

• Batch-Type Emulsifiers: Materials are added to a closed kettle at one time, and emulsification is completed after a certain period of processing. They have the advantages of simple operation, flexible formula adjustment (suitable for multi-variety, small-batch production), and good mixing uniformity (materials are fully stirred in the kettle). They are widely used in cosmetics (e.g., batch production of facial creams), pharmaceuticals (e.g., preparation of ointments), and food (e.g., small-batch production of salad dressings).
• Continuous-Type Emulsifiers: Materials are continuously fed into the equipment through a pipeline, and emulsification is completed during the flow process. They have high production efficiency (suitable for large-scale, single-variety production) and small floor space (no need for large storage kettles). However, formula adjustment is relatively cumbersome, and it is difficult to handle materials with large particle sizes (to avoid pipeline blockage). They are commonly used in industries such as liquid detergents (large-scale production of laundry detergent), industrial coatings (continuous production of water-based coatings), and beverages (continuous emulsification of fruit juice emulsions).