Returning to MEPCA’s pages with expert mixing advice, Silverson addresses the challenges of blending high-viscosity liquids, such as honey.
When blending easily miscible liquids of similar viscosities, an agitator can produce satisfactory results. But where there is a significant difference in viscosity between the two liquids, an agitator tends to move the phases around without actually blending them together, and it can take a long time to achieve a uniform blend. For example, when manufacturing honey-based products, which can be extremely difficult to process due to the high viscosity and ‘sticky’ characteristics of honey.
Silverson Machines has recently helped a customer who wanted to improve the quality of their honey products but was struggling to get the results they wanted using an agitator.
The company, based in the UAE, manufacturers many different kinds of natural honey, cold pressed oils for food and other herbal supplements and natural products.
Previously, the company had been using conventional agitators for blending its natural honey products, but this was time consuming with high costs resulting from running the mixers for extended periods of time to achieve their desired product. It also wanted to experiment with improving products by adding powders, such as Ginseng powder and bee pollen, as well as other high viscosity products like fresh royal jelly. With an agitator, this was proving to be impossible as it could not incorporate the additional ingredients.
Part of the problem with incorporating these powders into the viscous honey was their low density. The company was adding 10 – 15% of powder to the honey and found that it did not disperse correctly using the conventional agitator, as it did not produce sufficient shear to break down any agglomerates that formed. As a result, the company could not get a final product with the required specifications and was having issues with wastage, which further increased costs.
After contacting Silverson, the company decided to trial one of the L5M-A laboratory mixers to see if it could help solve its mixing problems. Whilst trialling the lab mixer, the company found it was able to completely disperse the low density powders, creating an agglomerate-free, homogeneous mixture with excellent taste and distinctive texture.
A Silverson mixer is able to combine to products of varying viscosity due to the positive mixing action created by the rotor/stator workhead. The high-speed rotation of the rotor blades creates a powerful suction, which draws the ingredients into the high shear zone of the workhead. The materials are subjected to intense shear in the confined area of the workhead. Liquids are blended instantaneously. Any powder agglomerates that may have formed are broken down in the gap between the rotor blades and stator wall. Fresh material is simultaneously drawn into the workhead developing circulatory mixing cycle, accelerating the process and eliminating localised mixing.
The company now describe their product as being incomparable to any other on the market because of the quality produced with the Silverson mixer.
Silverson Machines will soon be releasing a ‘How to’ guide on mixing honey, showing the capabilities of their high shear mixers.
In the meantime, Silverson will be exhibiting some of their product range at the PPMA Total show 2025. To discuss a specific mixing application, or to arrange a trial, visit the Silverson mixing experts on stand G60.
