Equipment that drives drastic reduction of size of particles or droplets in an emulsion or suspension, producing stability at the micrometer or nanometer scale. They differ from Agitators by orders of magnitude in energy dissipated per unit volume — they are not for mixing, they are for microstructure transformation.
Usual types
- High pressure (100–1500 bar) — the product is forced through a narrow gap (valve or orifice), undergoing controlled cavitation and intense shear.
- Rotor-stator — head with a high-speed rotor near a perforated stator; localized shear forces.
- Ultrasonic — cavitation induced by high-intensity ultrasonic waves; lab scale or small production.
Reliability: homogenization valve wear (the dominant mode — replaced by operating hours), sealing in high-pressure service, contamination by metallic particles from wear itself. Standard in the food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries.