The function of homogenizer is to mix things with different textures evenly through its high-speed shear knife, so that the raw materials can blend better with each other, achieve a good emulsification state, and play the role of eliminating bubbles.

The greater the power of the homogenizer, the greater the speed, and the higher the efficiency during production. The longer the main column of the homogenizer is, the more homogenizable capacity is.

The principle of the homogenizer commonly used in the laboratory: mix the experimental sample with the solution or solvent evenly to reach the standard solution required by the experiment. The homogenizer can be divided into the following three categories according to its working mode:

Ultrasonic homogenizer

Principle: The principle of using sound wave and ultrasonic wave to rapidly compress and expand alternately when encountering objects. Under the action of ultrasonic wave, when the material is in the half cycle of expansion, the material liquid will expand as bubbles under tension; During the half cycle of compression, the bubbles shrink. When the pressure changes greatly and the pressure is lower than the low pressure, the compressed bubbles will collapse rapidly, and “cavitation” will appear in the liquid. This phenomenon will disappear with the change of pressure and the imbalance of external pressure. At the moment when the “cavitation” disappears, the pressure and temperature around the liquid will increase greatly, playing a very complex and powerful mechanical stirring role, So as to achieve the purpose of homogenization.

Scope of application: various tissue crushing and cell lysis, extraction of organelles, nucleic acids, proteins, and emulsification and homogenization of other industrial samples.

Advantages: It is convenient to use, and can handle different quantities of samples by changing different probes; Good emulsification and homogenization effect, suitable for single sample operation.

Disadvantages: multiple samples cannot be processed at the same time. Different samples need to be replaced or cleaned, increasing the chance of cross contamination between samples; It has certain influence on biological samples with special requirements.

Probe rotary blade homogenizer

Principle: This type is used to separate, mix, crush and homogenize by rotating the grinding pestle in the homogenizer. It is suitable for processing samples with strong toughness.

Scope of application: It can be used to disperse animal/plant tissues, extract nucleic acid, protein, etc. with lysate, and also be used in industrial resin and pigment manufacturing suspension/emulsion, etc.

Advantages: low speed, large torque, no noise, etc. It is easy to use. By changing different probes, different quantities of samples can be processed. It is easy to operate and more suitable for single sample operation.

Disadvantages: multiple samples cannot be processed at the same time. Different samples need to be replaced or cleaned, increasing the chance of cross contamination between samples; Such homogenizers are not considered for the treatment of thick wall samples such as bacteria, yeast and other fungi.

Beating homogenizer (also called knocking homogenizer and grinding bead homogenizer)

Principle: Keep hammering on the bag through the hammering board. The pressure generated can break and mix the materials in the bag. The grinding bead homogenizer is used to grind and homogenize the sample by putting the sample and corresponding beads into the test tube, rotating and vibrating at high speed in three dimensions, and smashing the sample with the high-speed tapping of the grinding bead.

Scope of application: It is widely used for breaking animal and plant tissues, algae, bacteria, yeast, fungi or molds, as well as various sporophytes, and extracting DNA/RNA and protein.

Advantages: It can efficiently handle stubborn samples including bones, spores, soil, etc. Each homogenizer cup is equipped with a homogenizer knife to avoid cross contamination, which is simple and efficient to operate, and it is better to handle fragile samples.

Disadvantages: It is unable to process large volume samples. The processing capacity of a single sample is generally less than 1.5ml, and it needs to be used together with the corresponding homogeneous bag, so the input of consumables and equipment is high.