Which Equipment Is Used for Mixing Viscous Materials?

Introduction

As you know, high-viscosity materials often present challenges during mixing due to poor flowability and uneven mixing caused by their high viscosity. So, what kind of agitator should we choose to handle these high-viscosity materials?

What Is Considered a Viscous Material?

So, what exactly counts as “viscous”? Basically, it’s anything that resists flow and needs a lot of force to move or stir. Unlike water or juice, these materials are more like pastes or gels—they can be super thick, from 10,000 up to over a million cps. That thickness makes mixing tough because the material doesn’t flow well, and it can leave “dead spots” where nothing blends.

These materials are so stubborn and gummy—they practically flow like the chewing gum you forgot under your shoe. To get them moving, you need a mixer that can deliver some serious torque and strong shear force. Sometimes, the industry even calls in reinforcements like vacuum, heating, or cooling to get everything fully blended. The good news? We know exactly which machine is up for the challenge!

What Type Of Mixer Is Commonly Used For Viscous Materials?

Planetary Mixer
Planetary mixers are one of the most commonly used devices for processing high-viscosity materials such as creams, pastes, gels, binders, and thick foods.
Features
Dual planetary mixing heads achieve "dead-angle-free" mixing
Can be equipped with a vacuum degassing system
High-viscosity mixing efficiency
The mixing paddles rotate along their own axis + rotate around the container

Vacuum Emulsifying Mixer
Vacuum emulsifying mixers are designed to prepare smooth and stable emulsions, and are therefore widely used in the production of cosmetics, skin care products, pharmaceuticals, and food.
Features
High-shear homogenizing head can completely disperse solid powders.
Vacuum environment prevents bubble formation.
Can be heated and cooled. 
High-frequency use in the cosmetics and pharmaceutical industries.

Ribbon Blender
A ribbon blender is a versatile mixing machine commonly used for combining powders, granules, and moderately viscous pastes in the food, chemical, and pharmaceutical industries.
Features
Gentle yet provides wide mixing coverage
Can be equipped with a heating jacket
Suitable for the food industry (sauces and paste-like products)

Sigma Mixer
The Sigma mixer, also known as a Z-blade kneader, is a heavy-duty mixing device designed to handle materials with extremely high viscosity and excessive viscousness that cannot be processed by traditional mixers.
Features
Powerful kneading capability
High torque
The preferred equipment for handling extremely high viscosity products (>1,000,000 cps)

High-Shear Mixer
High-shear mixers are basically the “The Flash” of the mixing world — they can quickly disperse, emulsify, and homogenize anything from liquid-liquid to liquid-powder blends. Their high-speed rotor-stator setup creates some seriously powerful shear forces, which means powders dissolve fast and emulsions turn out super fine and stable. Because they work fast and mix even faster, you’ll see them all over the place — cosmetics labs, chemical plants, pharma production, and even food processing. Wherever something needs to be mixed really well, these guys are the go-to.
Features
Strong shear force for homogenization and fine particle reduction
Can be used together with a vacuum emulsifying mixer
Not suitable for extremely high-viscosity materials on its own, but ideal for medium- to high-viscosity systems

Which Mixer Should I Choose?

Food Industry

If you're looking for a machine that can evenly mix your beverages or low-to-medium viscosity liquids/mixtures such as creams and sauces, a High-Shear Mixer is the right choice for quick and even mixing. For thicker jams, you might need a Planetary Mixer for even more reliable results. 

Of course, we won't forget that if you need to mix powders (spice powders, seasoning powders, dry mixes), mix dry powders with a small amount of liquid, or mix granular/powder materials, you can choose the Ribbon Blender to achieve uniform mixing. This method has a simple structure but is very suitable for large-volume dry/semi-dry materials.

Cosmetic Industry

We all know cosmetic formulas can be a whole drama — you’ve got oil phases, water phases, emulsifiers, thickeners, powders… basically a small army of ingredients that don’t always get along. So to keep things simple (and save you from mixing headaches) We have compiled information on the two most frequently used machines: high-speed shear mixers and vacuum emulsifying mixers.

High-shear mixer is suitable for creams, lotions, serums, and body lotions because it can quickly disperse powders, colloids, and thickeners, and refine oil droplets to form a stable emulsion. It is the ideal choice for emulsifying the oil and water phases.

Vacuum emulsifying mixer are pretty much the VIP guests in the beauty world — especially when you’re making fancy creams, lotions, or foundations. They mix under vacuum, which basically sucks out all the tiny air bubbles so your product comes out smooth and flawless. The homogenizing head then steps in and crushes those oil droplets into super tiny, super even bits, keeping everything stable so the formula doesn’t split up like a messy breakup. Because of all that, this machine is a total beast when it comes to thick, paste-like materials — the kind you really have to convince to mix.

Choosing the right machine based on the project you are planning to start will save you unnecessary trouble.

Chemical Industry

Chemical raw materials are diverse and require high levels of dispersion, shear strength, corrosion resistance, and material compatibility.

For processing high-viscosity pastes such as adhesives, epoxy resins, and sealants, we recommend the Planetary Mixer, which leverages its high torque to process these materials.

For processing inks, glues, and dyes, the High-Shear Mixer remains a good choice. Its strong shear force allows for rapid dispersion of powders and fine particle refinement, making it suitable for liquid-liquid and powder-liquid applications.

For processing corrosive chemical raw materials, it is essential to select a machine made of SUS316 stainless steel to prevent corrosion.

Conclusion

Depending on the properties of the materials, we know that there are various types of mixing machines suitable for processing a variety of materials under different conditions, allowing them to be fully mixed to achieve the ideal state you need. When choosing a suitable machine, please consider multiple factors such as viscosity, heating conditions, vacuum degassing, mixing uniformity requirements, whether CIP cleaning is required, machine material, and industry GMP.
If you need help choosing the best mixer for your viscous product, ZONESUN team will provide customized solutions.