Assignment

Submitted by:
Ahmed Raza
(2019-CH-17)
Submitted to:
Dr. Sabih Qamar

Topic:
 Mixers
 Crystallizers

Date:
27th Feb, 2020

University of Engineering and Technology, Multan

 Mixing of Solids:
“The intermingling of two or
more Phases is known as mixing.”
The mixing of solids, whether free flowing or
cohesive, resembles to some extent the mixing of low-
viscosity liquids. Both processes intermingle two or
more separate components to form a more or less
uniform product. Some of the equipment normally used
for blending liquids may, on occasion be used to mix
solids.

Mechanisms of Mixing:
Lacey (1954) identified three mechanisms of
powder mixing:
(1) Shear mixing.
(2) Convective mixing.
(3) Diffusive mixing.

In shear mixing, shear stresses give rise to slip

zones and mixing takes place by interchange of particles
between layers within the zone. Diffusive mixing occurs
when particles roll down a sloping surface. Convective
mixing is by deliberate bulk movement of packets of
powder around the powder mass.
 In free-flowing powders both diffusive mixing
and shear mixing give rise to size segregation and so for
such powders convective mixing is the major
mechanism promoting mixing.
When attempting to mix particles which are
not subject to segregation, this is generally the best
quality of mixture that can be achieved. If the particles
to be mixed differ in physical properties then
segregation may occur.

Equipment:

1. Peddle Mixer
2. Kneader Mixer
3. Ribbon Mixer
4. Dispersers
5. Mixing Rolls
6. Impact wheel
7. Muller Mixer
8. Masticators
9. Extruders
10. Pug Mill
11. Tumbling Mill
12. Internal screw Mixer
 Peddle Mixer:
WORKING PRINCIPLE
Among Horizontal Mixers, Paddle Mixers are widely
used in applications where small amounts of liquid additives
are mixed into raw materials. Its high-speed choppers and
twin shafts result in excellent homogeneity in the finished
product. Paddle mixers meet the needs of high output, large
scale mixing of raw materials.

Construction
The Twin Shaft Paddle Mixer is a batch powder mixer
within two parallel drums with counter-rotating overlapping
shafts that are equipped with paddles fixed at a
predetermined angle with a high mixing efficiency.
Paddles have close tolerances to the troughed walls and
provides a region of low shear force near the walls. Bulk
blending and Dispersive mixing, regardless of density or
particle size, is handled gently with the Twin Shaft Paddle
mixer.
Paddle Mixer consists of drive unit, vessel, double shaft
paddles, choppers and discharge system etc.

Advantages
 Optimal mixing homogeneity
 Short mixing time
 Excellent reproducibility of batch production
 Minimum wear and low maintenance
 Easy access to mixer/ Easy to clean
Excellent mixing at any product level
Wide applications

Disadvantages
 As it is a batch process so process stop for a while.
 It is time consuming

Applications
 Chemical
 Pharmaceuticals
 Food
 Pesticide
 Pigment & Dye
 Cosmetics
 Animal Feed
 Metallurgy
 Battery
 Construction Material
 Ceramic Powder
 Mining Industry
 KNEADERS
 Kneading –“squashing the mass flat, folding it over on
itself and squashing it once more.
 Also tear the mass apart and shear it between a
moving blade and stationary surfaces.
 For deformable and plastic solids.
 Large energy requirement.

DISPERSOR
 It is heavier in construction and draws more power than
a kneader it works on additives and coloring agent into
split material.

MASTICATORS
 A masticators is still heavier and draw even more power
it can disintegrate scrape rubber and compound the
toughest plastic masses.
 Masticators are often called intensive mixer.

EXTRUDERS
 The discharge of continuous kneader is restricted by
covering it with an extrusion die.
 Pitched blades of the rotor build up considerable
pressure in the material
 Material is cut and folded and subjected to additional
shear
 Contain one or two horizontal shafts.
 Heating jacket is provided.

MIXING ROLLS
 Smooth metal rolls at variable speeds.
 For pastes and deformable solids to intense shear.
 3 to 5 horizontal roll in vertical stack.
 Material moves from slower to faster ones.
 Batch roll mills has two rolls set in horizontal plane and
require long mixing time and attention.
 Used for dispersing solids in rubber and plastic
materials.

MULLER MIXER
 Medium speed.
 Muller-types mixer for batch operation.
 Small to medium size sand particles.
 Most difficult mixing.

Features
1. Good mixer for batch of heavy solids.
2. Energy efficiency.
INTERNAL SCREW MIXTURE
CONSTRUCTION
Internal screw mixture is made up of carbon
steel. Mixture casing is vertical tank containing helical
conveyors.
Mixture inside shaft is required its rotating in
forward or backward directions. And outside casing is
fixed. It also consists of an inlet and outlet valve.
Helical shaft is connected with the motor which
allows it to rotate. Shaft is very close to the conical
container which allows effective mixing.

WORKING
It consists of a vertical vessel with a screw
rotating to achieve the circulation of material and
secondly the elevation of material.
This result in intermixing of solid grains as well
as shear action to the ones in contact with the screw or
the walls of the container.
The feed enters from bottom usually with aim
to nullify the gravity factor which could escape the
molecules without desired mixing.
Two vessel shapes are normally used for this
category, the cylindrical and the conical.
APPLICATIONS:
 Mixing and homogenization of powders, pastes and
slurries.
 Granulation or agglomeration of powders
 Addition and injection of liquids into dry powders
 Reaction under vacuum or pressure conditions
 Processing of powders under inlet conditions
 Heating and cooling of powders
 Storage of non-free flowing powders
 De aeration or densification of powders
 Homogenization of particle size and color.

RIBBON BLENDERS
Ribbon blenders are used for mixing the
powders, paste mixing and also for heating and cooling.
Shear mixing and gentle mixing are done by ribbon
mixers.

CONSTRUCTION
A ribbon blender consists of U-shaped horizontal
trough containing a double helical ribbon agitator that
rotates within.
The agitator’s shaft is positioned in the center of
the trough and has welded spokes on which the helical
ribbons (also known as spirals) are welded.
Since the ribbon agitator consists of a set of inner
and outer helical ribbons, it is referred to as a “DOUBLE”
helical ribbon agitator.
The gap between the ribbon’s outer edge and the
internal wall of the container ranges from 3 to 6 mm
depending on the application.

WORKING
The charging of material in the blender is generally
through nozzles or feed-hoppers mounted on the top
cover of the blender.
The inlet cover also provides maintenance and
cleaning access to the inside of the blender.
An external jacket can also be provided on the
blender container for applications which require
heating or cooling of product material.
The material to be blended are loaded into the
blender, typically filling it to between 40 and 70 percent
of the total volume of the container.
A spray pipes for adding liquids can be mounted
above the ribbons.
During the blending operations, the outer ribbons
of the agitator move the material from ends to the
center while the inner ribbons move the material from
the center to ends. After blending the material is
discharged from a discharge valve located at the bottom
of the trough.

APPLICATIONS:
The following are the applications of the ribbon
blenders,

 Blending large volume of dry solids

 Dry powder to wet phase mixing
 Mixing of bulk drugs, chemical and cosmetic
powders.
 Dry blending of capsule formulations
 Heating cooling and drying of solids.

IMPACT WHEELS
CONSTRUCTION:
Impact wheel has a stationary shell which is
made up of thick steel, the impact wheel rotor is at
center of shell which collects the feed from the inlet and
then vigorously mixes the material.
Due to rotation of wheel the material mixes
and sometimes gets grinded.
 Impact wheel contains the hammer connected
to the wheel.

WORKING
Fine, light powder blended continuously by
spreading them out in a thin layer under centrifugal
action.
A premix of the several dry ingredients is fed
continuously near the center of high spinning disk.
The disk of 10 to 27 inches in diameter, which throw it
outward into a stationary casing.
Recombined material passed through with that
which is entering.
Impact wheel blend 1 to 25 tons/ hour of light
free-flowing powders.

CHANGE-CAN MIXERS
Are for viscous liquids and light pastes as;
 Food processing
 Paint manufacturing
 5 to 100 gal. In size
 Change-can mixer are

 PONY MIXER
 BEATER MIXER
PONY MIXERS
Agitator consists of vertical blades held on rotating head
positioned near the wall of the can.
Blades are slightly twisted
Agitator is slightly mounted eccentrically.
Can rest on a turn table driven in direction opposite to
that of agitator.
When mixing is completed blades are cleaned and can is
replaced.

BEATER MIXER
Can or vessel is stationary
Agitator has a planetary motion
Visits all parts of vessel.
Beaters are shaped to pass with close clearance over the
side and bottom of mixing vessel.

Crystallizers
Formation of solid particles within a homogeneous
phase.

TYPES OF CRYSTALIZER;
 Vacuum crystallizer.
 Crystal crystallizer
 Swenson walker crystallizer.
 Double pipe color crystallizer.
 Wolf bock crystallizer
 Tank crystallizer.

VACUUM CRYSTALLIZER

PRINCIPLE:
Vacuum crystallizer operate on the principle of
“Adiabatic boiling” wherein the feed liquor is exposed
to high vacuum resulting in evaporation and cooling of
the liquor. The concentrated liquor is fed to the
continuous crystallizer in an acidic or alkaline condition.

EXPLANATION:
I. Vacuum crystallizer may be continuous or batch.
II. The batch vacuum crystallizer is particularly useful
when processing material that tend to grow on the walls
of continuous crystallization equipment.
III. Vacuum crystallizer use a condenser with a booster
to maintain a vacuum inside the crystallizer body. This
vacuum makes it possible to generate a supersaturated
solution when very low operating temperature are
needed.
 IV. The crystallizer body can be seen on the left, with the
condenser and booster slightly above and to the right of
it.

USAGES:
To produce gabber’s salt at a mineral plant.

SWENSON WALKER CRYSTALLIZER

Swenson walker crystallizer is a continuous type

crystallizer designed to make the large uniform crystals.
This operation involves both heat and mass transfer. It
works on principle of super saturation by cooling.

PRINCIPLE:
It works on principle of super saturation by cooling. A
very common type of continuous crystallizer using
cooling alone to bring about supper saturation is the
Swenson-walker crystallizer.

CONSTRUCTION:
 It consists of U-shaped open through with a semi
cylindrical bottom.
 A water jacket welded to the outside of trough.
 A slow speed, long pitch, spiral agitator running at about
7 RPM and set as close to bottom of the trough as
possible.
 Water jacket is divided into section so that differential
cooling may be used in the various zones.

ADVANTAGE:
 Less floor space is required.
 Saving labor.

 Continuous process
 Crystals of uniform size.

DISADVANTAGES:
Scraper may break crystal to the little extent
due to agitation.

TANK CRYSTALLIZER
Simple stirred batch reactor.

ADVANTAGES:
 For pharmaceuticals, where uniform, well-defined
crystals are important
 High value, low volume products.