Currently, flake ice has become a popular choice in many areas of life thanks to its convenience and high efficiency. With a small, thin and light design, flake ice is especially favored in preserving fresh food in supermarkets, restaurants, and shopping malls. Flake ice Helps keep food fresh in display cases, providing a better customer experience.
Not only in the field of preservation, flake ice is also popular in the beverage industry. The easy-to-dissolve characteristics and the ability to cool quickly help users comfortably sip drinks without worrying about affecting their teeth. Together Tan Long explore details about What is flake ice? and its diverse applications. What is flake ice? in life!
Find out what flake ice is?
What is flake ice? Flake ice is a type of stone, one piece at a time and can be adjusted in thickness from 1 to 2mm. This type of stone is very suitable for industrial processes, seafood display and transporting perishable items. Although thin and light, flake ice It also has the ability to dissolve slowly, helping to preserve food for maximum freshness.
How is flake stone different from other types of stone?
First of all, flake ice is a product created from the process of freezing water, similar to the way other types of ice are made such as block ice, tube ice or cube ice. Flake ice is also a quality ice, not inferior to other types of ice. In fact, in many fields, flake ice is even more effective.
The outstanding difference of flake ice compared to other types of ice is its shape. Flake ice has the shape of fish scales, produced from specialized flake ice making machines. The thickness of flake ice usually ranges from 1mm to 2mm, and users can adjust the thickness according to their needs during machine operation.
While the market has separate block ice makers and cube ice makers, there are also flake ice makers. (flint mill) Specialized. The main use of flake ice is to preserve fresh food. Many modern flake ice production technologies also feature the addition of salt in a certain proportion, helping the ice to melt slower and protect food better. This is an outstanding feature that other ice makers do not have.
What is a flake ice maker?
Flake ice maker is a specialized equipment used to produce flake ice with different outputs depending on the purpose of use. Usually made from high quality alloy steel, the machine is capable of withstanding low temperatures, helping to optimally transfer heat from steam to a closed, static evaporation system. Flake ice is made from thin, light stone slabs, about 2mm thick and small in size, usually 12x16mm. The freezing process takes place at -90°C, and the flake ice is cut into thin, dry pieces.
The flake ice machine system consists of main parts and accessories. The ice production process takes place inside a double-layered cylinder, with the evaporated liquid refrigerant between the two layers, called the ice mill.
The ice mill on the flake ice maker is cylindrical in shape, made from stainless steel with two layers, and the evaporated liquid refrigerant is located between these layers.
The working principle of the ice maker is as follows: water is pumped from the tank below to the water tray above. Water from the tray will flow through the pipe system and spray onto the inner surface of the cylinder, then be cooled. Part of the water will freeze into ice that sticks to the inner surface, while the remaining water that is not cooled will automatically flow back to the tank, and this process continues.
When the ice on the inside of the machine reaches a certain thickness, the cutter will operate, cutting the ice into small pieces and dropping them into the ice container below. Users just need to take out the ice cubes and use them when needed.
What are the characteristics of flake ice?
Characteristics of flake ice: Flake ice are dry slabs of stone, about 2mm thick and 12 to 16mm longThis type of stone is widely used in the following fields:
- Food preservation: Used to prevent the loss of water and evaporation of important nutrients in foods.
- Chemical industry: Used for cooling in exothermic reactions and to provide rapid cooling in distillation and chemical production.
- Construction structure: Used in concrete mixes to absorb heat and prevent the formation of water vapor during mixing and pouring of concrete, helping to protect the structure from being affected by the formation of harmful water particles.
- Other fields such as chemical dyeing, laboratory and medical processing also use flake ice for other special purposes.
Practical applications of flake ice in today's life
Flake stone has many important and diverse applications in life and industry. Below are the applications of flake stone that we need to learn:
Keep food fresh longer
This is the effect of flake ice that we need to mention first. Especially, in preserving, processing and displaying seafood, this type of ice becomes even more important. When used to preserve food, each layer of flake ice is stacked on top of each other and hugs the surface of the food, helping to increase the effectiveness of keeping cold and preserving, much higher than other types of ice.
The surface of flake ice is smooth and soft, and its light weight helps prevent crushing or damaging fresh food. Flake ice also keeps food from retaining its natural moisture without freezing it. As a result, food does not absorb water and is less likely to spoil.
Fresh food display
You may be familiar with fresh food displays in supermarkets and restaurants. You are also familiar with food processing plants with lots of flake ice. Supporting the processing and display of fresh food is also an important use of flake ice.
If using conventional ice, businesses will have to combine it with a low-temperature system. This system can easily lose natural moisture and cause food to freeze, thereby reducing the quality of food that needs to be processed or displayed. With flake ice, all factors that change the quality of food will be eliminated, ensuring that the product is always fresh and safe.
Applications in healthcare
Flake ice not only has applications in industry food industry but also applied in health care sectorWith the ability to maintain a stable temperature and slow melting, flake ice is used in cases requiring widespread cooling such as reducing fever, healing broken bones and disinfecting in operating rooms.
Applications in chemistry
In the field of chemistry, flake ice plays an important role in temperature control in the preparation and distillation processes of drugs, flavors and other important chemical reactions.
Applications in construction
In construction, flake ice used to mix with concrete, helping to absorb heat and prevent the formation of water vapor during concrete pouring. This helps to increase the durability and quality of construction by minimizing the loss of bond due to temperature during construction.
According to Tan Long, flake stone is not only a decorative material but also a versatile solution for many different fields such as food, medicine, architecture and scientific research. With outstanding properties and diverse applications, flake stone is gradually affirming its position and value in modern life.
