Ross Announces PFA-Coated Ribbon Blender to Be Offered for Sensitive Applications

Charles Ross & Son Company (Ross), of Hauppage, NY, announced in a press release on Feb. 28, 2025 a new purpose-built perfluoroalkoxy (PFA)-coated ribbon blender (1). The company said the blender has been designed specifically to meet the needs of “sensitive and challenging” applications—meaning, ones for which a stainless-steel or carbon-steel coating may not be appropriate or compatible.

Ross, founded in 1842, is a producer of industrial mixing, blending, drying, and dispersion equipment, according to the company’s website (2). Its mixers can be found in use in a wide range of industries including, but not limited to, food, cosmetics and personal care products, chemicals and pharmaceuticals, animal health products, and polymers and plastics.

In this design, a durable PFA coating, black in color, covers the interior of the trough, the double ribbon agitator, bolted stub shafts, and the funnel of the valve (1). The blender’s knife gate valve, the company said, is dust-tight, and its ease of operation ensures a smooth discharge process.

According to the press release, the coating is not available only for this model; it will be able to be optionally applied to various sizes of Ross’ ribbon and paddle blenders (1). The working capacity of the specialized PFA-coated ribbon blender is 5 cu. ft. When applied in this context, according to Ross, PFA coatings prevent product contamination and steel corrosion, promote material release, and simplify cleaning (1).

Overall, Ross said the controls of the specialized blender are operator-friendly to the extent that they feature a forward/reverse function (1). The company highlighted the equipment’s ease of use for applications such as powders, pellets, and slurries, among others.

Further information on Ross ribbon blenders can be found in the December 2024 issue of Pharmaceutical Technology®. In particular, the company said at that time that its Model 42N-10, among a line customized for heavy-duty and sanitary applications, is designed for free-flowing materials with bulk densities up to 100 lbs. per cu. ft.

Earlier in 2024, the company released information about its V cone blenders, which utilize diffusion as their main mixing mechanism, allowing batch materials to cascade down and distribute particles over a freshly exposed surface.

The announcement of the new blender’s specifications followed Ross’ disclosure of a price reduction (up to 40%) on its Series 100 and Series 500 Production Batch High Shear Mixers, effective in January 2025 (3).

A previous technology report from Ross on design considerations for tumble blenders was published in May 2024 and is available for download here. Tumble blenders are effective for dry solid blends, low-viscosity slurries, and formulations of trace components that differ in size, shape, and density.

References

1. Charles Ross & Son Company. ROSS PFA-Coated Ribbon Blender for Sensitive Applications. Press Release. Feb. 28, 2025.
2. Charles Ross & Son Company. About Charles Ross & Son Company–Industrial Mixers Since 1842. Mixers.com (accessed March 5, 2025).
3. Charles Ross & Son Company. Competitive Prices on ROSS Batch High Shear Mixers. Press Release. Jan. 29, 2025.