Homogenizer

an apparatus for obtaining homogeneous, finely ground mixtures and highly dispersed emulsions. Homogenizers are used in the production of sterilized milk, vegetables, fruit, dairy canned goods, ice cream, and sweet cream. Homogenizers are widely used in chemical and biological laboratory research. A liquid is passed into the homogenizer at high speed through capillary openings or narrow slits with a gap of 2–7 microns. In this process, the fat particles are broken up (to 0.1–1.0 microns) and distributed evenly. The principal parts of the homogenizer are one or several (for even delivery) parallel pumps and one or several homogenizing heads placed in succession. Homogenizers are classified as one-, two-, or three-stage, depending on the number of heads. The productive capacity of a homogenizer is up to 5,000 liters per hour.