Silverson’s High Shear In-Line professional mixers are widely used in the refining of edible oils such as soybean, rapeseed, corn etc. The rise in demand for biodiesel has seen a major increase in activity in this market, as existing producers seek to expand capacity and new facilities are being set up.

The main application for high shear mixing is the reagent additions – phosphoric or citric acid in degumming, caustic soda in neutralising, or clays and professional filter aids during bleaching. The mixer must ensure intimate contact between the industrial reagents and the oil, while producing an emulsion that breaks easily during separation. Silverson’s high capacity, self-pumping In-Line mixers offer many advantages over low shear devices like static mixers. The intense high shear reduces the reagents to a fine droplet or particle size, accelerating the reaction, reducing chemical use and improving yield. The mixer’s action can be modified by the use of interchangeable workheads to allow processing of a range of oils, including those that tend to emulsify.

Silverson is working with the leading names in the industry to advance the process; the benefits of high shear “process intensification” are making biodiesel production increasingly more viable.