Technology Tuesdays: High-efficiency Homogenization Valves

Hello Partners!

Have you ever picked up a carton of milk and wondered, what is the difference between homogenized milk, pasteurized milk, and ultra-pasteurized milk?

I know I have, and I was excited to learn that the process and purpose for homogenizing and pasteurizing milk are completely separate and serve different purposes. For example, the different processes that are used to pasteurize milk are meant to make milk safer to consume by killing certain bacteria.

However, the purpose of homogenizing milk is purely for taste and consistency. This is the method that is most commonly used to separate out the fat molecules to create whole milk, 2%, 1%, and skim milk.

The process of homogenization was invented in 1899 by Auguste Gaulin. In plain English, homogenization is the process by which you can combine two liquids that are immiscible. Immiscible liquids are liquids that are insoluble in one another such as oil and water, for example. This process is common in industries such as the chemical, food and beverage, pharmaceutical, and personal care industries.

A homogenizer uses high pressure to achieve its desired outcome. A piston head pumps the liquid or product into the homogenizing valve. The liquid then becomes micronized down to the size of a nanometer. When the liquid or product comes back out, its particles are smaller, and the consistency is vastly improved because all of the tiny particles are evenly distributed throughout the liquid. This process allows for a product to have better taste, texture, and a longer shelf life, depending on the type of product it is.

Now that we understand what homogenization is, we also understand that the most important component in a homogenizer is the homogenization valve. More efficient homogenizer valves are able to utilize less pressure to achieve the same outcome. As we know, pressure equals energy usage. Some models have been able to increase effectiveness by as much as 30%. This amount of reduction has great implications for both energy consumption and mechanical wear and tear on the equipment.

I found learning about homogenizers incredibly interesting and I hope you did as well!

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Sources:
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/pasteurized-homogenized-milk_n_5606168
https://www.mgnewell.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Homogenizer-Overview.pdf
https://www.chemicalonline.com/doc/nanovalve-the-high-efficient-homogenizing-val-0001
https://www.gea.com/en/binaries/gea-homogenizing-valves_tcm11-69699.pdf