Homogenization

Homogenization reduces and evenly disperses particles or droplets in a mixture. It limits separation by making the dispersed material more uniform throughout the continuous phase.

High-pressure homogenization: A process that forces a fluid through a narrow valve or orifice at high pressure to reduce dispersed particles or droplets. It is a widely used route to fine dispersions, including homogenized milk.
Emulsion: A mixture of two or more liquids that are normally immiscible, with one liquid dispersed as droplets in another. Many homogenization processes reduce the droplet size of an emulsion.
Milk homogenization: The processing of milk to reduce fat globule size and distribute the globules more uniformly. It slows cream separation and gives milk a more uniform appearance.
Mixing: The operation of combining materials to reduce spatial differences in their composition or properties. Mixing distributes ingredients but need not reduce droplet or particle size.
Ultrasonic homogenization: A process that uses high-frequency sound to create cavitation and disrupt particles or droplets in a liquid. Cavitating bubbles generate intense local forces that break up droplets.
Suspension: A mixture in which solid particles are dispersed through a fluid without dissolving. Homogenization can make suspended particles smaller and more uniformly distributed.
High-pressure processing: A food-preservation method that uses high hydrostatic pressure to inactivate microorganisms and enzymes. Despite its name, it preserves food through a different mechanism than high-pressure homogenization.
Emulsification: The formation of an emulsion by dispersing one immiscible liquid in another. Emulsification creates the dispersed liquid phase; homogenization often refines its droplets.
Rotor-stator homogenizer: A device that disperses materials by drawing fluid through a narrow gap between a rotating rotor and stationary stator. Its intense local shear makes it a common method for emulsifying liquids.
Interfacial tension: The energy required to create a unit area of interface between two phases. It resists the creation of smaller droplets during homogenization.

Linked from 15 pages