PC-SEP23-PG12.1_Layout 1 07/09/2023 08:49 Page 12
COVER STORY
SILVERSON’S RANGE OF ROTOR/STATOR WORKHEADS FOR INCREASED VERSATILITY
The versatility of Silverson’s high shear mixers is increased further by the range of easily interchangeable workheads and screens available
t the heart of every Silverson High Shear mixer is a rotor/stator workhead. It is the high speed rotation of the centrifugal type rotor which draws materials into the workhead - lighter materials which float or raft on the surface of vessels will be drawn down into the workhead and heavier materials that sink to the bottom of the mixing vessel will be drawn upwards. Once the materials enter the workhead they are subjected to intense mechanical and hydraulic shear in the precision engineered gap between the rotor and stator screen. Centrifugal force drives the material out through the holes in the stator and back into the mix, while the rotation of the rotor draws fresh material into the workhead, setting up a circulatory pattern of mixing. As such, Silverson High Shear mixers can be used for many mixing tasks with their versatility increased further by the range of easily interchangeable workheads and screens available for each machine. In a video recently released on their YouTube channel, Silverson explains and demonstrates the uses and results of the most common workheads and screens in their range. These workheads allow any machine to be adapted to perform a wide range of mixing operations including emulsifying, homogenising, disintegrating, dissolving, dispersing, blending, particle size reduction and de-agglomerating. So a Silverson mixer can be used in place of several
A
pieces of mixing equipment, with changing from one head or screen to another a quick and simple process. The Silverson General Purpose Disintegrating Head is the most versatile of all of the Silverson workheads, giving an exceptionally vigorous mixing action and the greatest throughput. The workhead is ideal for general mixing applications and can be used across a range of industries. Its uses also include:
• the disintegration of solids and semi solid materials
• the preparation of gels and thickeners • the preparation of suspensions, solutions and slurries
• blending liquids or similar or greatly varying viscosities The Slotted Disintegrating Head is recommended for products which require the disintegration of fibrous materials such as animal and vegetable tissue. It can also be used for the disintegration and solubilisation of “elastic” materials such as rubbers and polymers.
Our unique manufacturing process also allows us to customise workheads and offer special designs to suit individual requirements. As such Silverson can also offer positive cut and diagonal slotted heads. The configuration and fine internal tolerances of the Square Hole High Shear Screen stator provide exceptionally high shear rates, ideal for the rapid size reduction of soluble and insoluble granular solids. It is also suitable for the preparation of emulsions, gels and thickeners and fine colloidal suspensions. Silverson Emulsor Screens are available in either fine or medium which is the standard.
12 SEPTEMBER 2023 | PROCESS & CONTROL
These screens are ideal for liquid/liquid preparations and can be used where there is a difference in viscosity between liquids. The Emulsor screens main function is the preparation of all emulsions. The perforations in the stator help to achieve a uniform globule size and a fine, stable emulsion. The Silverson Duplex, featured in a separate video, is an in-tank mixer which comprises two workheads facing in opposite directions. Here again, the use of interchangeable screens allows the user to configure their machine to suit specific tasks. For example, the Duplex’s unique Coarse Disintegrating Head can be used in the upper workhead, with a General Purpose or Slotted head in the lower workhead. The upper head pulls materials down from the surface of the mix, and provides a coarse disintegrating action, while the lower head draws material up from the base of the mixing container, further reducing particle size to accelerate solubilisation or suspension. Alternatively a General Purpose head in the upper workhead can be paired with a Square Hole or Emulsor Screen in the lower head where a very fine suspension or dispersion is required. Duplex models can be supplied in a range of sizes for batches of up to 10,000 litres. A Duplex Mixing Assembly is also available for the L5 series Laboratory mixer, converting it into a small-scale version of the Duplex. This can help to give an accurate forecast of the results which could be obtained by production scale Silverson Duplex disintegrator mixers. This mixing assembly is ideal for: • disintegration and solubilisation of larger solids such as rubbers and polymers • high viscosity mixes
• applications where light or buoyant material with a tendency to float needs to be drawn down from the surface of a mix and rapidly dispersed.
Find out more by visiting the Silverson website and YouTube channel.
Silverson Machines
www.silverson.co.uk
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50
