What Is a Liquid Mixer?
A liquid mixer can be used for a number of applications including emulsifying, blending and dispersing. It can also be used to wet powders, which helps with things like hydration and improving stability in the finished product.
Mixing of soluble liquids with one another occurs often in engineering and everyday life. Many liquid mixing processes require the ability to create a stable and consistent blend with a high viscosity.
Viscosity
The viscosity of a liquid describes the degree to which it resists motion. The term is most often used in units of centipoise (cP). There is no single measurement that determines when high viscosity mixing is needed but it is generally chosen when analysis of a product’s flow is determined to require significant assistance to remain in motion. As viscosity increases the resulting fluid tends to become more laminar rather than turbulent and this dictates mixer design characteristics that are appropriate for those conditions.
Structurally viscous liquids, such as proteins, amino acid additions and starch suspensions, behave very differently from shear-thinning fluids. They do not increase in viscosity when subjected to a force and actually decrease in viscosity. Mixing such materials is difficult, as the mechanical stress imposed on the drive components and agitators is excessive.
However, the use of an agitator can allow these products to be processed without difficulty, by applying shear at regular intervals. These shear forces are generated by the rotation of the agitator blades, the movement of these blades through the mixture and friction between the mixer blades and the vessel walls. The agitator must be carefully configured to balance these opposing forces in order to achieve an acceptable level of mixing. This is achieved through careful selection of the agitator drive, the speed at which the agitator rotates and the number and size of its agitator blades.
Vortex
Mixing two liquids of different viscosity can be challenging. A vortex mixer can create a homogeneous mixture with low shear and no turbulence. It can also be used to stir solids in a liquid.
Compared to other mixing methods, the use of a vortex mixer is less time-consuming. For example, a manual “finger vortex” technique can take longer and may not produce a proper suspension. Additionally, liquid mixer the shear involved in this method can damage the samples.
The rotational velocity of a vortex mixer is designed to generate a vortex motion within the sample, which helps to rapidly mix the materials. This mixing action is particularly helpful for liquids of high or low viscosity.
Vortex mixers are commonly used in biochemical, bioscience, and microbiology research. For example, they are used to re-suspend cells in a cell culture or to mix reagents before chemical reactions. In Packaging Machinery Supplier addition, they can be used to perform quality control procedures.
There are many types of vortex mixers available. Some come with multiple speed settings and programmable features. Others are more simple and are ideal for a single sample. Some can even be battery operated. When choosing a vortex mixer, consider the size of your tubes and plates and your mixing needs. A specialist can help you determine the right model for your lab.
Shear
A liquid mixer utilizes shear to thoroughly combine solid, gas and/or liquid components that are difficult to mix using other techniques. Shear occurs when areas of a fluid move at different speeds. The faster area is known as the tip velocity while the slower area is called the shear radius. This difference in velocity creates a force on the shear radius that breaks it apart and causes mixing. A high-shear mixer is designed to generate shear by utilizing a rotating component, such as a rotor or impeller, in contact with stationary stator blades. The rotor spins at a very high speed to produce shear, creating flow and breaking up agglomerates or droplets within the mixture.
In addition to low shear blending and high shear mixing, there are also mid-shear mixing systems to help create a more homogenous product. This type of mixing is often used to prepare ingredients that are immiscible in nature such as oil and water. In these instances, the objective is to break down the water droplets (the dispersed phase) and the oil droplets in a single continuous liquid phase (the continuous phase).
The Silverson Flashmix is an example of a mid-shear system. It uses a revolutionary design to combine powder and liquid at a rate not previously possible. This allows a greater range of applications to be efficiently mixed in terms of particle size distribution and viscosity. This technology helps to avoid agglomeration, improve reaction efficiency and reduce production costs.
Maintenance
A liquid mixer is an important tool for any industrial production plant. It allows for high production rates and helps ensure that the product is of the highest quality. Additionally, the liquid mixing process is cost-efficient, requiring less energy than other industrial processes.
Regularly cleaning your mixer is essential to maximizing its lifespan. It is also important to inspect the safety features of the machine, as these can help protect against accidents. For example, a broken power cord can cause electrical shock and fire. Keeping an eye on the cord and replacing it as needed will help prevent these accidents from occurring.
It is also important to regularly lubricate the mixer’s moving parts. This will minimize wear and tear, and it will keep the mixer running smoothly.
Finally, it is important to use the mixer for its intended purpose. Overloading the machine can damage the motor and gears, reducing its lifespan. It is also important to avoid using attachments that aren’t appropriate for the mixer’s application, and to make sure that all attachments are securely attached.
Lastly, it is important to check the air-purged seal and lip seals for wear and tear. This will ensure that the ingredients do not leak out of the mixer, causing unnecessary contamination. It is also a good idea to periodically take the mixer apart and clean it thoroughly. This will help reduce the amount of cleaning solvents used in the plant, as well as minimize harmful vapors that may enter the plant atmosphere.
