Colloid mills are specialized machines used for milling, homogenizing, dispersing and breaking down of agglomerates into small size particles. Colloid mill machine is basically a type of a grinding mill used for the making of smooth dispersions of solids or liquids by breaking down particles in an emulsion or paste. The primary function of this machine is to breakdown larger particles into uniform sized small particles. .

The Process

The raw material is fed into a hopper and made to pass between the rotor and stator elements. The material is subjected to high shearing and discharged from the hopper onto the second pass wherein it is recirculated; this is due to the conical shape of the machine and the centrifugal effect of the high speed rotating motor. The machine is equipped with cooling and heating jackets and flame proof motor. Moreover, enormous hydraulic shear is needed to do the job and a colloid mill is the ideal devise to apply this force. The output or productivity varies from machine to machine and depends on factors such as feed rate and viscosity of the raw material/particles.

Features of Colloid Mill

Most colloid mills for pharma are produced with certain features which are mentioned below:

• The clearance between the rotor and stator of the machine should be easily adjusted.
• Proper sealing is required to protect the  heavy duty bearings.
• Colloid mills should be able to operate at  varied temperatures.
• Should be easily converted to closed, continuous operation.
• Units can be equipped with mechanical seals for pressurized operations.
• Colloid mills are available in sanitary design for cosmetic applications, pharmaceutical and food.

Application of Colloid Mill

• Pharmaceuticals
• Suspensions
• Emulsions
• Cosmetics