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Rapid dissolution of citric acid into cold water

for juice production using Fristam Powder Mixing Technology

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Introduction to the application and industry overview

Juice and beverage manufacturers must accurately control acidity to maintain flavour balance, microbiological stability, and consistent product quality. Citric acid is widely used to adjust pH, enhance freshness, and support preservation in juice formulations, making precise and reliable dissolution essential before dosing into production. Traditionally, this requires heated tank mixing and long processing times. This case study demonstrates how a beverage producer achieved rapid cold dissolution of citric acid using Fristam powder mixing technology, significantly reducing processing time and energy consumption while maintaining reliable solution preparation.

Customer brief

A producer of juices and beverages required an efficient method to dissolve citric acid in water for acid adjustment within their products. The conventional process relied on dissolving citric acid in hot water using a tank mixer, creating long batch preparation times and high energy demand.

The ratio of citric acid to water was 50:50 – with 500kg of powder and 500litres of water.

The customer sought a faster, more energy-efficient approach that could reliably produce the required citric acid solution while simplifying production and reducing operational costs.

Previously unsuccessful methods

Traditional preparation involved dissolving citric acid in heated water inside a tank mixer.

This process required extended mixing durations and continuous operation of tank agitator motors, leading to high energy consumption and slow batch turnaround.

Producing a 50% citric acid solution using this method typically required more than four hours of mixing time.

Previously unsuccessful methods

Fristam’s solution

Fristam provided a powder mixing system consisting of a Fristam FZ20 Powder Mixer combined with an FS Shear blender (with 3532 rotor stator combination). This configuration enabled inline induction and dissolution of citric acid directly into cold water, followed by short circulation to complete homogenisation.

Fristam was confident that with our mixing technology – pre-heating the liquid would not be necessary for dissolving the citric acid.

Trial set-up

1. Cold water was circulated in the Fristam Powder Mixer – being pumped by the FZ20 induction pump.

2. Citric acid powder was poured into the Fristam Powder Mixer, where gravity, together with a vacuum from the induction pump drew the powders into the liquid stream of water below for immediate wetting and dispersion.

3. The premixed solution passed through the FS Shear Blender, which ensured uniform dissolution and consistent concentration.

4. A short additional circulation period of approximately five minutes completed the homogenisation of the solution.

Fristam’s solution

A successful outcome with the Fristam Powder Mixer

The Fristam powder mixing system dissolved 500 kg of citric acid into 500 litres of cold water in approximately ten minutes, plus five minutes of circulation. Compared with the previous process duration of more than four hours, this represented a time saving of approximately 93% while fully eliminating the need for water heating!

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Process / Product quality benefits

Process / Product quality benefits

  • Rapid and complete dissolution of citric acid in cold water – 93% faster than tank mixing
  • Reliable preparation of a consistent 50% solution
Sustainability benefits

Sustainability benefits

  • 100% elimination of thermal energy previously required for water heating
  • Lower overall energy usage due to shorter processing time and removal of extended mixer operation
Financial benefits

Financial benefits

  • Elimination of water-heating energy costs
  • Reduced energy consumption from removing long tank-mixing operation
Other benefits

Other benefits

  • Simplified and faster batch preparation for juice production
  • Improved health and safety on site, as workers no longer had to climb ladders with powder bags to dump powders into a tank mixer.

Similar applications

  • Preparation of citric acid solutions for carbonated soft drinks, flavoured waters, and fruit-based beverages where controlled acidity defines flavour balance, freshness, and shelf stability
  • Acid adjustment in fruit preparations, concentrates, cordials, and preserves, where pH influences gel formation, colour retention, and microbial stability
  • Use in sauces, dressings, and condiments to regulate acidity, enhance taste profile, and support preservation
  • Application in confectionery processes such as fruit gums and gelled sweets, where organic acids contribute to flavour sharpness and setting behaviour
  • Beyond foods and beverages, dissolved citric acid is also used in pharmaceutical and nutraceutical liquid formulations for pH control and stability, in personal care products such as rinses, toners, and mild exfoliating solutions where acidity must be precisely managed, and in cleaning or descaling formulations where organic acids are prepared in solution before dosing

Frequently Asked Questions

Citric acid must be fully dissolved to allow accurate pH adjustment, consistent flavour balance, and reliable microbiological stability in the final juice product.

In addition to mixing & blending technology – check out Fristam’s full range of pumping technologies suitable for the beverage industry.

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