Mixing of Particulate Solids Using Static Mixers

Static mixers are finding increasing application in the process industries for mixing particulate solids. The versatility of static mixers lend themselves to many advantages compared to dynamic mixers but the exact mixing process which can influence static mixer performance is not well understood. Various investigations into assessing the performance of static mixers are reviewed along with a more general overview of the area of mixing in terms of mixing mechanisms and equipment. In this article, pilot investigations into the radial mixing of binary mixtures in a static mixer with respect to size utilising a novel sampling method are presented. It was concluded that the static mixer under investigation fulfilled the necessary requirements to be included as an integral part of a segregation testing facility, based on test results which indicated the mixer's ability to mix highly segregating materials to a satisfactory degree of mixedness.