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Dispersing generally describes the fine distribution of solids, liquids or gases in another medium, usually a liquid. The principle and the difficulty of achieving good mixing is well known in everyday life, e.g. from salad dressing made from vinegar and oil.

In the industrial and scientific fields, the applications are correspondingly more complex. Examples of applications range from paints, varnishes and inks to the uniform distribution of functional nanoparticles or the use of active materials in battery technology.

The EZD in Selb is responding to the increasing demands and industrial requirements and has therefore significantly expanded the possibilities for research and development as well as the transfer to industrial implementation.

The new dispersing pilot plant now has a dissolver, an agitator bead mill, a high-pressure homogenizer and a rotor-stator disperser (in-line mixer). These systems are designed for the production of material preparations on a pilot plant scale of around 50 liters. This makes it possible to produce larger customer samples in addition to traditional laboratory tests and significantly facilitates the transferability of test results to industrial production.

Both water- and solvent-based suspensions can be processed, as well as various resin systems. The technical center therefore offers ideal conditions for the production and testing of a wide range of industrial products – including inks, coatings, adhesives and many other technical suspensions.

"We are excited about the new possibilities that these machines offer us and look forward to being able to offer our customers additional services. In addition, we can now provide sample quantities on a reasonable scale and further strengthen our support in industrial practice," says Dr. Felipe Wolff Fabris, Site Manager of the EZD.

Another highlight of the new technical centre is the integration of modern in-process characterization methods. Inline rheometers, liquid color measurement systems and stability analyzers provide valuable information on material properties during production. The use of these methods not only helps to ensure product quality, but also supports the optimization of process control and the increase in energy efficiency during dispersion.

With the expanded equipment, the EZD is opening up new opportunities for practical, application-specific research and development – in close cooperation with industry. As part of the SKZ Plastics Center, the EZD also benefits from a broad network and extensive expertise in the field of plastics and their processing.

The SKZ is a climate protection company and a member of the Zuse Association. This is an association of independent, industry-related research institutions that pursue the goal of improving the performance and competitiveness of industry, especially SMEs, through innovation and networking.