Among food additives, lecithin is a jack-of-all-trades. This naturally occurring substance has many uses, from emulsifying and stabilizing food textures to supporting cellular functionality in the body. It is often added to chocolate, ice cream, mayonnaise, coffee creamer and salad dressings, to name a few. Food manufacturers often process lecithin using stainless steel screw-and-trough systems to move the material through various steps like filtration, deodorization, fractionation and oil residue removal. Although lecithin is sometimes used in non-stick cooking sprays, it does stick to the metal equipment that processes the substance, making it a thorn in the side of food manufacturers.

For example, one Magnaplate customer uses a 10-foot screw-and-trough system made of 316 stainless steel to convey lecithin, usually at temperatures between 70 and 170°F. Lecithin occurs naturally in soybeans, sunflowers, egg yolks and meats, and it becomes stringy and sticky as our customer conveys it through its processes. The material sticks to both the trough and screw with a texture that our customer describes as “pumpkin guts.” When they turned to us to address the issue, we applied a PLASMADIZE® surface treatment to give the trough-and-screw system excellent lubricity, corrosion protection and wear resistance.

PLASMADIZE is an enhanced thermal spray composite coating made up of a matrix of high-tech materials that forms a mechanical bond to the substrate material. Depending on the polymers used in the custom coating, PLASMADIZE creates a moisture-proof barrier that imparts excellent non-stick properties to the surface, preventing stringy, sticky food materials like lecithin from building up on the equipment. Depending on the chosen polymers, PLASMADIZE also offers:

• Excellent wear resistance.
• Superior corrosion resistance.
• Wide operating temperature range of -200 to +1,300°F.
• USDA and FDA-compliant versions.
• Many coatings have exceptional mold release characteristics.
• Thick or thin layer application.

No More Pumpkin Guts

PLASMADIZE eliminated the sticking and wear problems for the lecithin processor, ensuring the food products have the right quality and texture for consumers. This application is another example of why food manufacturers — particularly those with sticky additives and ingredients — can trust Magnaplate coatings to maintain or improve machine performance while delivering product quality. When your food application calls for surface treatment to eliminate sticky material buildup, our specialists can suggest the right coating for your needs.

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