Endowment

In process engineering, doping refers to the targeted addition of very small quantities of substances to a bulk material in order to specifically change or optimise its properties. This usually involves concentrations in the per mille or ppm (parts per million) range. The doping substances can be powdery, liquid or pasty.

Typical applications are

• Incorporation of flavourings, colourings or vitamins into food,
• Addition of anti-caking agents to improve pourability,
• Incorporation of catalysts, active ingredients or functional additives.

Dosing requirements

The challenge lies in the homogeneous distribution of small quantities to a usually large mass of bulk material. For this purpose, high-precision dosing systems (e.g. micro screw feeders) are used in combination with high-performance mixers, which ensure uniform distribution despite small dosing quantities - without agglomeration or particle damage. amixon® mixers enable the uniform distribution of minimal doping even in large batches - both dry and with liquid addition.

Linguistic origin

The term "endow" comes from the Latin dotare ("to endow, to bestow") and entered the German language via the French doter ("to provide with"). In technology, the term was first used in semiconductor physics and later transferred to other specialised fields - including bulk solids process engineering, where today it describes the targeted introduction of minute quantities of active ingredients.