Key Equipment: Vacuum Emulsifier / (Jacketed) Mixing Tank
This document describes the process flow and equipment configuration of the hand sanitizer production line, focusing on the line layout built around the core solution preparation equipment — the Vacuum Emulsifier / (Jacketed) Mixing Tank.
Hand sanitizer is a liquid cleaning product (including ordinary hand sanitizer, antibacterial hand sanitizer and foaming hand sanitizer) made with surfactants as the main cleaning ingredient, supplemented with thickeners, emollients, preservatives and flavors, through dissolution, mixing, homogenization and defoaming. The core process is to fully dissolve the surfactant system, mix it uniformly and form a liquid with stable viscosity. The solubility and stability of the surfactant system directly determine the cleaning power, foaming performance and shelf stability of the hand sanitizer, and are the key links of the whole production line.
By material flow, the hand sanitizer production line is divided into four functional zones — pretreatment, solution preparation, post-treatment, and filling & packaging — organized around the core solution preparation equipment (Vacuum Emulsifier / (Jacketed) Mixing Tank):
| Functional Zone | Main Processes | Main Equipment | Function |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pretreatment zone | Raw material inspection, weighing & batching | Electronic scales, batching containers, purified water system | Inspect and weigh the purified water, surfactants and various auxiliary materials |
| Solution preparation zone (core) | Water phase/surfactant dissolution, mixing, thickening, defoaming | Vacuum Emulsifier / (Jacketed) Mixing Tank | Dissolve, mix and thicken the surfactants with the water phase in the jacketed mixing tank and vacuum-degas to make the hand sanitizer |
| Post-treatment zone | Cooling, aging, intermediate inspection | Cooling jacket, aging tank, inspection equipment | Cool down and age to stabilize the system and complete intermediate inspection |
| Filling & packaging zone | Filling, packaging, finished product inspection | Filling machine, packaging machine, coding equipment | Metered filling, packaging and labeling; inspect finished products before warehousing |
Materials flow sequentially from the pretreatment zone into the solution preparation zone, post-treatment zone and filling & packaging zone, forming a continuous, closed and traceable production flow.
The typical process flow of hand sanitizer products is: raw material inspection → weighing & batching → (water-phase preparation and surfactant-phase preparation in parallel) → vacuum dissolution & mixing → thickening & blending → cooling → aging → intermediate inspection → filling → packaging → finished product inspection & warehousing. Each step is described as follows:
| No. | Process Step | Step Description | Key Control |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Raw material inspection | Inspect raw materials such as purified water, surfactants, thickeners, emollients and flavors; store them for later use after they pass | — |
| 2 | Weighing & batching | Accurately weigh the purified water and all raw materials according to the formula | Accurate proportioning |
| 3 | Water-phase preparation | Charge the purified water into the jacketed mixing tank and heat to the specified temperature | Water-phase temperature ★ |
| 4 | Surfactant-phase preparation | Premix the surfactants evenly with thickeners, emollients and flavors | Accurate proportioning |
| 5 | Vacuum dissolution & mixing | Add the surfactant phase into the water phase; heat, dissolve, homogenize and mix in the vacuum emulsifier with vacuum defoaming | Dissolution & mixing ★ (core) |
| 6 | Thickening & blending | Add thickeners or salts to adjust the viscosity to the set range | Viscosity control ★ |
| 7 | Cooling/aging | Cool through the jacket and age to stabilize the system | Cooling speed |
| 8 | Intermediate inspection | Test semi-finished products on viscosity, pH, foam volume and other indicators; transfer to the next process after they pass | Pass/fail judgment |
| 9 | Filling | Quantitatively fill into packaging containers via the filling machine | Filling metering |
| 10 | Packaging | Labeling, sealing, coding, cartoning | Labeling integrity |
| 11 | Finished product inspection & warehousing | Inspect finished products against standards; warehouse them after they pass | Pass/fail judgment |
Note: The steps marked with ★ in the table (water-phase temperature, surfactant-phase preparation, vacuum dissolution & mixing and thickening & blending) are key process control points, among which vacuum dissolution & mixing is the core control link of the whole production process.
The Vacuum Emulsifier / (Jacketed) Mixing Tank is the core equipment of the hand sanitizer production line. Its main body is a mixing tank with a heating/cooling jacket, integrated with a vacuum system, a homogenizing device and a wall-scraping stirring device, combining heating & dissolution, mixing, thickening, homogenization, defoaming and other functions in one unit, ensuring the surfactant system is fully dissolved and uniformly mixed.
| Item | Description |
|---|---|
| Function | Heating & dissolution, mixing and thickening of purified water and surfactants, homogenization and vacuum defoaming — the key process that ensures the stability of the hand sanitizer system |
| Main structure | Mixing tank with a heating/cooling jacket; steam or cooling water circulates in the jacket for temperature control |
| Stirring system | A central paddle works with a wall-scraping paddle to ensure thorough mixing of the solution and prevent wall sticking |
| Homogenizing system | A high-speed homogenizing device achieves full dissolution and uniform dispersion of the surfactants in water |
| Vacuum system | The tank is evacuated to remove air and reduce oxidation, improving the clarity and stability of the solution |
| Temperature control | Heating and cooling through the jacket, combined with temperature sensors for precise dissolution temperature control |
| Advantages | Closed operation, good hygiene, uniform dissolution & mixing, stable product quality, easy cleaning (CIP) |
In the production line, the Vacuum Emulsifier / (Jacketed) Mixing Tank receives materials from the water phase and surfactant phase and completes dissolution & mixing under heating, vacuum and homogenization, producing a uniform and stable hand sanitizer, which then passes through thickening & blending, cooling and aging into the subsequent filling and packaging processes.
Step 1 · Raw material inspection
Inspect raw materials such as purified water, surfactants, thickeners, emollients and flavors; store them for later use after they pass
RO Water System
Step 3 · Water-phase preparation
Charge the purified water into the jacketed mixing tank and heat to the specified temperature
Oil Phase Tank & Water Phase Tank |
|
Step 5 · Vacuum dissolution & mixingCore Equipment
Heating & dissolution, mixing and thickening of purified water and surfactants, homogenization and vacuum defoaming — the key process that ensures the stability of the hand sanitizer system
Vacuum Emulsifier Mixing Tank |
|
Step 9 · Filling
Quantitatively fill into packaging containers via the filling machine
Four-Head Filling machine
Step 10 · Packaging
Labeling, sealing, coding, cartoning
Capping Machine |
Labeling Machine |
Inkjet Printer |
Supporting Equipment
Rotary Lobe Pump
The figure below shows the production process flow of hand sanitizer products. The core equipment highlighted in orange, the “Vacuum Emulsifier / (Jacketed) Mixing Tank”, sits at the vacuum dissolution & mixing step after water-phase preparation and surfactant-phase preparation, and is the key equipment of the whole line.
Figure: Process flow of hand sanitizer products (★ key equipment: Vacuum Emulsifier / (Jacketed) Mixing Tank; labeled in both Chinese and English)
