How It Works: Particle Size Reduction

Microfluidizer high shear fluid processors are unique in their ability to achieve uniform particle size reduction, bottom-up crystallization and efficient cell disruption - enabling innovative companies to develop nano-enabled medicines, chemicals and consumer products that change the world. Product enters the system via the inlet reservoir and is powered by a high-pressure pump into the interaction chamber at speeds up to 400 m/s. It is then effectively cooled, if required, and collected in the output reservoir. The exclusive fixed-geometry interaction chambers is the heart of our technology, and combines with a constant pressure pumping system to produce unparalleled results.

Highest Commercially Available Shear

As shown in this chart from Chemical Engineering, Microfluidizers consistently generate significantly higher shear than other methods and more uniform particle size reduction. It is important to note that customers are able to precisely control the level of shear applied, enabling them to process shear-sensitive materials and high-pressure applications. By reducing particles to the nano-level more efficiently, customers use less energy to achieve particle size results that are, on average, half the size of even the most effective homogenizer outputs.

Uniform Stability

Creating tiny particles is the first step. A crucial second criteria, often overlooked by other technologies, is generating a uniform particle size distribution in the process. This is where Microfluidics has proven its value to thousands of customer applications over the years: producing the most narrow particle size distribution results possible. Naturally, this yields greater stability, longer shelf life, more efficient use of raw materials and significant potential savings in filter area.

Customer Spotlight: Corixa, a GSK company, found they required 38x less filter area when using a Microfluidizer to produce a vaccine adjuvant nanoemulsion as compared to a leading homogenizer. Read the eye-opening data in our Corxia case study.

Scaleup Guaranteed

Of course, achieving success in the lab is only valuable it can be repeated reliably, regardless of scale. Microfluidics further differentiates from other technologies in that not only are results repeatable from batch to batch, but also from lab environments to pilot and production volumes. This is achieved by aligning microchannels  in parallel within the interaction chamber, with a a single output reservoir. This essentially ensures the entire product stream experiences identical shear, resulting in consistent quality no matter the volume, from 1 mL (with the new LV1 low volume machine) up to 60 liters-per-minute.

What's the Difference?

Learn how Microfluidizer processors compare to homogenizers, sonicators and French press technologies for particle size reduction (e.g. nanoemulsions, liposomes, etc.) and cell disruption. Or contact us to request a quote, schedule a demo or send in a sample for Proof of Concept testing.