Sustainability benefits
- Improved utilisation of functional cosmetic ingredients
- Reduced rework and discarded batches
- Lower overall processing energy due to shorter cycles
Previously unsuccessful methods
The previous process used batch-tank mixing with an in-tank high-shear mixer, where powders were manually added into water inside a large vessel. During wetting, carbomer powder tended to clump and fall to the bottom of the tank, adhere to tank walls as it bypassed the mixer head, preventing full dispersion.
This resulted in poor product consistency and settling of undispersed material. A recirculating shear pump was added to improve mixing, but large lumps still formed and failed to re-enter the mixing zone, preventing reliable homogenisation.
Additional operational challenges included excess foaming that could overflow the tank, long batch times of up to five hours and excessive raw material waste from incomplete carbomer expansion.
Fristam’s solution
A Fristam Powder Mixer table unit equipped with a FZX Liquid-Ring Induction Pump to generate suction and draw powder directly into the liquid stream and an FS 3532 Shear Blender to force the wetted powder through rotor-stator shear before entering the tank.
The waist height integrated hopper provided a lower-effort powder handling compared with lifting bags to elevated tank openings.
Trial set-up
1. Carbomer powder was introduced via the Powder Mixer hopper whilst water was drawn in by the FZX liquid-ring pump, ensuring instant wetting in a closed system.
2. The mixture passed through the FS 3532 Shear Blender, where high-shear rotor-stator action dispersed and hydrated the carbomer.
3. The process produced a fully suspended, non-separating cosmetic gel in a single pass, in just 30 minutes.
4. The product was transferred from the Powder Mixer to the storage tank.
5. A CIP cycle was ran through the Powder Mixer to ensure it was totally clean before the next batch.
A successful outcome with the Fristam Powder Mixer
The Fristam system ensured:
- Every powder particle is wetted on first pass
- No undispersed particulates settled in the vessel
- Minimum carbomer usage to reach target consistency
- Improved suspension stability and reduced separation
- Foaming was significantly reduced
Following the successful trial, the manufacturer purchased the unit for ongoing production use, confirming the system’s value in cosmetic gel manufacturing.
Financial benefits
- Reduction in batch time from 5 hours to 30 minutes
- Lower labour and operational costs
- Reduced raw-material waste from incomplete hydration of Carbomer
Other benefits
- Safer powder handling at waist-height loading position
- Elimination of filtration previously required for sediment
- Simplified, repeatable cosmetic-gel manufacturing process
Process / Product quality benefits
- Complete mixing in a single pass – taking 30 minutes instead of 5 hours as before
- Complete hydration and dispersion of carbomer thickener
- Stable, homogeneous cosmetic gel structure
- Reduced foaming and improved emulsification
- Consistent batch-to-batch product quality