Small particles: The well-kept secret to how our cosmetic products work well. And our chemical products. And our pharmaceutical drugs. And our preserved food...you get the point. The list could keep going, but the point is easily driven home. Particle size reduction, the process that creates small particles, can be achieved in numerous ways; yet it is in the best interest of the manufacturers hailing from these numerous industries to find the best process. The colloid mill and high pressure homogenizer both have the ability to reduce particle size, yet are different in some critical ways. Keep reading to better understand the differences between using a colloid mill or a high pressure homogenizer for particle size reduction.
Machine Process
The colloid mill classification as rotor-stator mixers means that they are comprised of a quickly rotating rotor, which draws a sample up. The sample then gets pushed in a centrifuge-like fashion through a stator, which contains many small slots. The combination of high rpm from the rotor and movement through the tiny slots causes the particles to be mechanically sheared. (1) In contrast, homogenization forces the sample through a narrow space while imparting multiple forces and high pressure to create a consistent and uniform sample.
Sample Composition
Both colloid mills and high pressure homogenizers can process liquid/solid combinations, e.g. the sample is comprised of a solid immersed in a liquid suspension or a liquid suspended in another liquid. Either machine can enhance the stability of these types of samples, and can also reduce the particle size of the suspended particles.
Suitable Applications
While colloid mills are only suitable for particle size reduction, high pressure homogenizers can be used for particle reduction and more. For example, the homogenizer’s ability to lyse cells stems from the powerful pressure that ruptures even difficult-to-break walls, like bacteria, yeast, and fungi. A variety of industries can benefit from access to either machine; these include the pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and food fields. Yet the homogenizer is also known to work within the chemical, medical, and biotechnology industries, while the colloid mill also benefits the paint, soap, textile, and paper industries.
Pion: Trustworthy High-Pressure Homogenizers
The product you select for your laboratory will ultimately depend on its downstream applications and the cell types being used. Either way, you will be well-served to select a homogenizer that is flexible to meet the various needs of a laboratory. There are plenty of companies on the market to select equipment from; however, the product can be of higher quality and more even consistency when run through top-shelf equipment, most frequently in the form of a homogenizer.
Pion's BEE brand technologies is trusted by researchers around the world for both our laboratory homogenizers and our associated customer support. Particle size reduction is just one of a variety of applications for Pion's BEE brand homogenizers; nano/micro emulsions, lipids, suspensions, cell lysis and dispersions are also easily achievable. Additionally, the homogenizer processes can be controlled to suit your product, which will allow you to customize to your cell type. And finally, the equipment is easy to use, produces higher yield in less time, and achieves results that are reproducible and scalable.
Learn about how Pion's BEE brand products can maximize your homogenization processes by contacting us today.
