A hydropulper is a giant industrial blender. It is used to process fibrous materials (such as recycled paper) into a usable slurry for manufacturing processes. They are used primarily in the pulp and paper manufacturing industry.
The basic operation of a hydropulper:
- Fill the hydropulper tank with water.
- Turn on agitator blades.
- Dump the material to be processed into the tank.
- Allow to mix until it has become a homogenous slurry.
- Often the hydropulper will be controlled by a sensor which gauges the consistency of the slurry, adding water to thin the mix or adding material to thicken it.
- When the slurry is well mixed, pump it out to where it will be used. Do not mix the slurry longer than necessary or the fibers will be broken up, and will be less useful for holding together the finished product.
Most hydropulpers process material purchased from recycling companies, and most recycled material is sold by weight. This means that a bale of second-hand newsprint will often have contaminants, such as scrap metal, hidden inside to increase the weight and thus the sale value of the paper. Other contaminants are common because people don't respect the little "recyclables ONLY" signs on things that look like garbage cans. These foreign objects must be cleaned out regularly so they do not damage the hydropulper blades.
Do not fall into the hydropulper or you will be converted into a usable slurry.
Hydrapulper is a very common, but nevertheless incorrect, misspelling of hydropulper.