What Is a Vacuum Mixer?
Vacuum mixers accomplish a number of mixing goals that vary by application. For some, it’s a matter of aesthetics (coatings, personal care products). For others, it’s about reducing oxidation to prevent decomposition and thwart unwanted chemical reactions or microbial growth.
For example, dentists fabricate casts from ceramic materials under vacuum, as well as mix battery electrode slurry and other ceramic materials.
Vacuum Mixers for Medical Applications
Mixing equipment is needed for developing cosmetic, pharmaceutical and chemical products in small quantities. The mixer’s ability to operate under vacuum conditions improves product handling and performance. It also allows the dispersion, emulsification and homogenization process to proceed faster and more efficiently than when using air-powered mixers.
Laboratory emulsifiers are designed for mixing a wide range of liquids, including corrosive substances such as salts and acids. Their low-speed operation and compact size make them suitable for use in smaller labs. They are ideal for testing the emulsion process under various operating conditions before moving to large production lines.
A dental vacuum mixer prepares materials used in a dental lab during casting processes for prosthetics, implants and crowns. It mixes silicone masses, plaster compounds and other suspensions under vacuum conditions to limit atmospheric oxygen and prevent bubble formation. The mixer’s compact design makes it easy to fit into a dental lab and frees up space on a work table.
The aging population has increased the need for orthopedic treatment, which often involves joint replacement surgery. Performing such procedures with bone cement rather than screws and wires ensures the highest quality of results. Adding bone cement requires that all ingredients are mixed thoroughly under vacuum conditions to avoid incorporation of air bubbles into the mixture. Mixing under a vacuum also speeds up the drying process by decreasing heat degradation and oxidation of the raw materials.
Vacuum Mixers for Food Applications
Vacuum mixers are used in the food industry to produce stable emulsions of base materials such as butter, vegetable oils and other fats. They can also be used to make whipped cream, milkshakes and other foods that require a stable texture. The mixing process can be done under vacuum to reduce the risk of the product being damaged by air bubbles or by excessive heat generated during the homogenizing process.
In addition to producing high quality emulsions, vacuum mixers can be used for other applications such as dispersing vacuum mixer powdered ingredients into liquids. This is especially useful for pharmaceutical preparations such as syrups and ointments.
The ability to operate under a reduced atmospheric pressure also allows the vacuum mixer to be used for drying applications. This can be particularly useful for sensitive tissue samples, lysol sprays and other temperature-dependent substances that would be quickly oxidized or degraded using a conventional homogenizing probe.
For example, the Rotosolver high shear mixer can be used to thoroughly disperse Xanthan gum in a matter of minutes. The advantage of this method is that the resulting product is free from any residual gum and also has very low viscosity. The vacuum mixer can also be used to dry other heat-sensitive substances such as abrasives, crystalline chemicals, pesticides and rubbers. Admix has a wide range of vacuum and non-vacuum mixers available that can be customized to match your specific application needs.
Vacuum Mixers for Dental Applications
A vacuum mixer is a type of industrial mixer that can be used to mix solids. These mixers are designed to be used in a variety of applications, including the manufacture of pharmaceutical products, cosmetics, chemical agents and foodstuffs. They can also be used in textile finishing to help prepare fabric for printing, dyeing and coating.
A common application for a vacuum mixer is to help dry wet powdered active pharmaceutical ingredients. These ingredients must be converted into user-friendly dosage forms, such as chewable tablets, effervescent tablets or oral tablets. To do this, the active ingredients must be bound by liquid binders. The resulting agglomerate must then be dried using a drying process that can be massively accelerated by applying a vacuum.
This is because the agglomerate will evaporate more quickly when it is exposed to lower temperatures than the ambient temperature. Vacuum mixing also helps to prevent air from getting into the material, which could otherwise cause contamination and decrease the quality of the finished product.
A vac-u-mixer permits spatulating and investing of inlay, crown, bridge and inlay investment patterns completely under vacuum to produce smooth, dense, detailed casts and impressions. These mixers are available in five sizes to match mixer manufacturer your equipment and materials. Each has a bowl made of rigid clear plastic or stainless steel with a drive nut and paddles.
Vacuum Mixers for Other Applications
Vacuum mixers can be used for a variety of industrial applications. They can help to degass and mix a wide variety of materials, including plastics resins, epoxies, silicones and much more. A vacuum-enabled mixer can prevent the integration of air into a mixture, which can improve its performance and make it safer to handle.
For example, if you are working with two-part silicone or epoxy that needs to be mixed and then allowed to cure for an extended period of time, using a vacuum mixer can help to speed up the process by eliminating the need for air to disperse through the mixing reaction. This allows the material to fully cure in a shorter amount of time, which can save you both money and time.
In addition to reducing the time needed to cure a product, vacuum mixers can also help to reduce the oxidation of the materials being used. This is a common problem that can occur when mixing materials because oxygen can cause the molecules in a material to degrade over time.
A vacuum emulsifying mixer is designed to be used in a variety of different production processes on a large or small scale. These are ideal for a number of different industries, including the pharmaceutical industry, which frequently requires the use of emulsifying equipment. These machines are capable of blending and solubilizing products with a high level of viscosity, such as mayonnaise or cream.