Dispersers
Dispersers, supplied by Norstone, Inc. within the Equipment category, apply high shear force to break apart agglomerates, de-lump powders, and achieve uniform distribution of solids within a liquid base. A high speed disc-type blade rotates at relatively high tip speed near the bottom of the tank, drawing product downward before it returns to the surface as individual vortices. Norstone, Inc. supplies high speed Dispersers across a range of batch sizes for pigment dispersion, coatings, inks, adhesives, and chemical processing applications. Unlike Mills, Dispersers achieve particle wetting and deagglomeration through shear alone, without grinding media in the process.
Characteristics
Dispersers are defined by the following properties:
- Disc-type blade design. A high speed disc-type blade generates shear at the blade edge and draws product downward through the vortex it creates, distinguishing Dispersers from the tooth-pattern blades used in Blade Depot® impellers.
- Range of batch sizes. Dispersers are available from 10 gallons to 500 gallons or larger, matched to laboratory or production scale.
- Material options. Dispersers are available in stainless steel and carbon steel construction, depending on the process fluid and contamination requirements.
- Mounting flexibility. Tank-mounted, portable, and full skid system configurations are available depending on the production environment.
- Broad processing range. Dispersers support processing ranges spanning coarse dispersion through nanoparticle sizes, depending on blade configuration and process time.
When Dispersers Are Typically Selected
Dispersers are generally chosen for wetting and deagglomeration of pigments, powders, and additives into a liquid carrier, ahead of any subsequent milling or mixing step in a process line. Compared to Mills, which use grinding media to achieve fine particle size reduction, Dispersers are selected when shear alone is sufficient to achieve the target dispersion, without the added cost and complexity of a media-based system. Compared to Mixers, which are built for blending and suspension at lower shear, Dispersers are selected when the process specifically requires breaking apart agglomerates rather than maintaining a uniform blend.
Configurations
- Batch sizes from 10 gallons to 500 gallons or larger, matched to laboratory or production scale
- Materials of construction: stainless steel, carbon steel
- Blade diameters and disc-type blade profiles sized to tank geometry and batch formula
- Tank-mounted, portable, and full skid systems
- Jacketed and unjacketed tank options
- Processing ranges spanning coarse dispersion through nanoparticle sizes
Dispersers are sourced through established manufacturer relationships spanning a range of blade diameters, motor horsepower, and hydraulic lift configurations. Equipment selection is matched to batch size, product viscosity, and shear requirement rather than to a single manufacturer line.
Applications
Dispersers support wetting and deagglomeration applications across the following use cases:
- Pigment dispersion for coatings, inks, and related liquid-carrier formulations
- Deagglomeration of powders and additives ahead of a subsequent milling step
- Adhesives and chemical processing applications requiring uniform distribution of solids into a liquid base
- Batch and skid-mounted production lines where wetting and deagglomeration precede fine particle size reduction
Dispersers operate alongside Mixers and Mills within the Equipment category. For applications requiring media addition after initial dispersion, see Grinding Media Depot®.
Related Products
Dispersers are one of five categories under Equipment. For media-based particle size reduction, see Mills. For blending and suspension work, see Mixers. For bench-scale testing before production scale-up, see Laboratory Equipment.