High Solid Filled High Viscous Liquid Mixing 1

[111nick]

Hi All:

We are mixing very high viscosity resins with about 80% sand. Liquid is a mixture of three different components, all are completely miscible in each other and all have high viscosity. At present, we are mixing in following way:
1. Introduce heated liquid component_1 and start agitator. This is only 5 weight% of total.
2. Introduce heated liquid component_2. (5% weight)
3. Introduce heated liquid component_3. (10 % weight)
4. Introduce sand (200 mesh) at room temp and keep agitator on and increase the heat input. (50% weight)
4. Introduce sand (700 meah) at room temp with agitator on and heat incrreased. (30% weight).

So when all sand is has been introduced, there is almost a 2ft of layer of sand on top of liquid!!!

Final mixture has, at about 250 F, viscosity is 50-60 cP.
Density of liquid components is 1.11 gm/cc and of sand is 2.20 gm/cc.

Does anyone has any idea to mix these components differently?

I mean to introduce, with agitation on, some liquid then some sand then some liquid and sand...

Or any other procedure?

We are very small company and don't much have experience or talent in the company. The present procedure has been in use for last 20 years but people think that there can be a more "efficient" way.

Please convey your idea.
OR
if you know any good book/article, etc. on such high soild high vicosity liquid mixing system/design please give idea.

Thanks.
Nick

 

[StoneCold]

111nick
It sounds like you are making concrete, hence a concrete mixing concept may work, like maybe a heated rotating drum. If it had baffles in it like a cement mixer that would probably do the trick. That idea might be way off track so you may want to talk to Ross or Chemineer or Lightnin. I have had great luck with Chemineer but my applications are much different. I would presume that you mix very slowly 10-15 RPM? and that what you are looking for is large turnover from top to bottom.

Good Luck
StoneCold

 

[jalvarez]

Nick
Taking into account your description, and assuming that heating liquids is not a problem for the stability of the liquids, it looks that the viscosity is not a serious issue.
The expensive solution may be to use a system designed by a qualified supplier. Just as my opinion, Sulzer have a wide and specific experience in this area.
If you want to do it by your own -the economic alternative- my recommendation is to separate the issues. First, mix the liquids, heat them up and finally add the sand, slowly, in a vessel prepared for that.
To mix the liquids you may try to develop by your own or buying a static mixer (Koch / Sulzer), heat them up and then transfer to a tank "cubic style" (Several companies offer them for the food industry, among other uses), where you may add slowly the sand and agitate.
Have a look on

http://www.tistr-foodprocess.com/MACHINE/Feb2004/QBMixer1.html.

Good luck, have a safe day
J.Alvarez

 

[saxon]

111nick, Looks like you're a candidate for automatic batch processing control involving weight feeders. Do a web search for Bran & Luebbe.

Hope this helps.
saxon

 

[aspearin1]

Generally, solids dispersion is best done when predispersed in the low viscosity fluid first. Good agitation will keep the solids suspended. I might do this, then slowly add the other components at the elevated mixing temperature, making sure that each. For composites formed from dispersion, shear forces and agitation are equally important as the order of which components are mixed. Considering that you are adding components in their more viscous state, your mixing time becomes infinite, and your sand has probably form agglomerates which are tough to break after the fact. Try to break or prevent those agglomerates early, then finish up with the other steps. This has proven best for some similar projects in my company.

ChemE, M.E. EIT
"The only constant in life is change." -Bruce Lee

 

[111nick]

Thanks everyone. And sorry to reply late. I am working on this now and will let you know the progress. Thanks again.

Nick

 

[Karlando]

We use Atrex high speed mixer in making pigment slurry up to 72 % solids.

http://www.megatrex.com/.

Mixer was first designed to make concrete, but new applications are developed all the time.

Best slurry in town

http://www.chemec.fi/