Posted to News on 25th Aug 2026, 10:01
THINKY Mixers reach 3,000 research paper citations
More than 3,000 peer-reviewed papers indexed on Google Scholar now reference THINKY Mixers. More important than the number itself is what it represents. Twenty years after Intertronics introduced THINKY Mixers to the UK and Ireland, thousands of independent researchers continue to select and trust this planetary centrifugal mixing technology to solve challenging materials problems and support tomorrow's manufacturing innovations.
THINKY Mixers can mix high- to low-viscosity liquids, pastes, and powders in seconds to minutes to produce a uniform, homogeneous mix and give you repeatable, air-free mixing for battery slurries, conductive inks, pharmaceutical formulations, advanced composites, and many other materials.
The non-contact planetary centrifugal mixing action rotates sample containers around their own axis at a 45-degree angle while simultaneously revolving them around a central point. Running at speeds of several thousand RPM, the process generates mixing forces of roughly 400 G. Some models include an integrated vacuum pump, allowing users to mix and degas at the same time when an air-free result is essential.
Consistent outcomes with fewer process steps
One example of a THINKY Mixer in use is for the development of a diagnostic glove for monitoring musculoskeletal conditions by the Department of Automatic Control and Systems Engineering team at the University of Sheffield. Their process involved mixing nanoparticles into a very viscous filled polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) mixture to produce a graphite composite. Using the THINKY Mixer removed the need for solvents to be used as mixing aids, reducing the number of process steps, improving health and safety, and increasing repeatability.
"The THINKY Mixer is a huge improvement on our previous process and means we can achieve consistent outcomes more quickly," said Tom Paterson, Postdoctoral Research Associate at The University of Sheffield. "The mix quality is extremely good, the mixer doesn't introduce air into the mix, and we're making a substantial time saving."
Trusted mixing from laboratory research into production
Passing 3,000 paper citations for the THINKY Mixer is a meaningful milestone as it represents an entirely independent measure of trust in the technology. Researchers rarely mention equipment unless it matters to the experiment. Three thousand citations suggest this isn't simply another laboratory instrument. It's become part of the methodology.
The technology continues to support emerging research areas without requiring laboratories to invest in different mixing technologies as research priorities evolve. And for manufacturers moving from laboratory research into production, technologies with this depth of published experience can reduce technical risk because thousands of other researchers have already explored their capabilities and limitations.
If you'd like to find out more about the THINKY Mixer's capabilities why not visit Intertronics' Technology Centre in Kidlington and try one for yourself? Get in touch with the mixing specialists at Intertronics to start a conversation about your application.
