From simple blending to chemical reactions, Canamix manufactures mixers and agitators for all process applications. There are nine basic ways to classify mixing processes. We took some time to dive into these processes to help you understand the complexities of the agitation industry, starting with simple blending.  

Blending Of Miscible Liquids 

This is a relatively simple process involving mixing two or more materials to make a homogeneous product. To achieve a satisfactory blend, liquid characteristics such as viscosity and density must be considered. Liquids with similar characteristics, like alcohol and water, blend quite easily while liquids with different viscosities, like glucose and water, take much longer to blend together. In addition, blending small quantities into large batches requires more time, and short blend time requirements need extra power.

Dispersion 

Dispersion is usually defined as the mixing of two or more non-miscible liquids, or adding solids into liquids to form a relatively stable mass before noticeable separation occurs. Dispersion covers a wide range of product types from caulking compounds and slurries to pigment pastes, cosmetics, ceramics, and more. 

Dissolving

This is the process of dissolving a solid in a liquid. Readily soluble crystalline materials are quite simple to dissolve and mix easily even at low mixing power. Non-crystalline solids, like rubber, can  be dissolved, but take longer and use more energy. 

Crystallization 

Crystallization is the reverse process of dissolving wherein solid crystals are formed from a liquid mixture. This is accomplished by cooling a saturated solution to deposit out crystals, or by heating a solution to remove the solvent.

Solids Suspension

This is another relatively simple mixing process that involves suspending insoluble solids in a liquid. There are three main types of solids suspension: uniform suspension of all particles, complete motion, and off-bottom suspension of all solids. The type of suspension required is quite important for mixer agitator selection and power. 

Heat Transfer

Heating, cooling, or maintaining a uniform temperature of a mixture are all classified as heat transfer. During this process, heat is transferred by conduction from the wall of the mixing vessel or internal heating elements inside the mixer. Agitation speeds up the heat transfer process by providing effective velocity over the heat transfer surfaces. 

Solvent Extraction

Extracting one or more components of a mixture by the use of a solvent liquid is called solvent extraction. It is a liquid-liquid extraction where compounds in two different non-miscible liquids are separated based on their relative solubilities and densities. 

Gas Dispersion

Gas dispersion can be defined as producing a suspension of bubbles of gas in a liquid, usually resulting in a chemical or biological reaction. Impeller designs are critically important for proper gas dispersion to prevent flooding of the impeller.

Chemical Reaction

The chemical reaction process can also require other processes as defined above, including solids suspension, blending and gas dispersion. However, while these processes are often defined by the ability to visually observe the result, chemical reactions usually require further analytical measurement to establish the efficiency of the mixing process.

 

Have any questions about agitators and their process applications? Contact Canamix to choose the right combination of mixing process, impeller selection, and vessel geometry.