Note 05 Unit Operations 2023/11/29

Mixing Indices
• By using them, we can determine whether the mixing has occurred effectively.
• There are 3 types of them.

𝜎𝑚 − 𝜎∞
𝑀1 =
𝜎0 − 𝜎∞

𝑙𝑜𝑔 𝜎𝑚 − 𝑙𝑜𝑔 𝜎∞
𝑀2 =
𝑙𝑜𝑔 𝜎0 − 𝑙𝑜𝑔 𝜎∞

2 2
𝜎𝑚 − 𝜎∞
𝑀3 =
𝜎02 − 𝜎∞
2

m = the standard deviation of a sample taken during mixing.

(Therefore,  m is somewhere in between the mixing.
Time
Starting Point m End Point

In other words,  m is a random moment in between the start and the end.)

 = the standard deviation of a ‘perfectly mixed’ sample

(If the sample is perfectly mixed, the standard deviation should be 0. In practice, perfect
mixing (where = 0) cannot be achieved, but in efficient mixers the value becomes
very low after a reasonable period).

0 = the standard deviation of a sample at the start of mixing.

Why do we need 3 indices instead of 1?

There are wide range of applications. So, if we use one index it is very difficult to
differentiate.
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Mixing Index Application

M1 When approximately equal masses of components are mixed

and/or at relatively low mixing rates
M2 When a small quantity of one component is incorporated into a
larger bulk of material and/or at higher mixing rates

M3 For liquids or solids mixing in a similar way to M1

In practice, all three are examined and the one that is most suitable for the particular
ingredients and type of mixer is selected.

There is an easy way to calculate the standard deviation at the start of the mixing
(0).

𝜎0 = √[𝑉1 (1 − 𝑉1 )]

V is the average fractional volume or mass of a component in the mixture.

Example:

A mixture contains 9kg of flour and 1 kg of sugar.

Proportion of sugar = 1/10 = 0.1

𝜎0 = √[𝑉1 (1 − 𝑉1 )]

𝜎0 = √[0.1(1 − 0.1)]

𝜎0 = 0.3

Relationship between the mixing time and the mixing index

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K = mixing rate constant, which varies with the type of mixer and the nature of
the components

t = mixing time, in seconds

If the index is a low value, it means that the mixing has occurred in a better way.

Mixing Indices- Examples

Answer

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Liquid Mixing
• In liquids, basically we have 3 types of velocities.
• They are;
A. Longitudinal velocity (Parallel to the mixer shaft)
B. Rotational velocity (tangential to the mixer shaft)
C. Radial velocity (acts in a direction perpendicular to the mixer shaft)

To achieve successful mixing, the radial and longitudinal velocities imparted to the liquid
are maximized by baffles, off-center or angled mixer shafts, or angled blades.

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Baffles
• Baffles are used to create turbulent flow pattern with in the vessels.
• By using baffles more satisfactory mixing can be obtained.

Unbaffled Mixing Baffled Mixing

(Bottom view is
showed)

Agitation vessel with an impeller and baffles

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Different shapes of stirrers/agitators

Different Types of Impellers
• Radial flow impellers
i. Turbine type
ii. Paddle type
• Axial Flow impellers
i. Propeller type
ii. Pitch blade type
• Special Impellers

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Turbine impeller and flow behavior inside a vessel

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High-viscosity liquids
In high-viscosity liquids, pastes or doughs, a different action is needed. High-viscosity
liquid foodstuffs in bulk, such as honey, tomato products, sauces, jam, corn and maple
syrups, molasses, mustard, juices, fruit and vegetable concentrates; animal fats and high-
viscosity vegetable oils, lard, margarine, cocoa butter, peanut butter, vegetable-
shortening and similar products. Here, mixing occurs by:

•kneading the material against the vessel wall or into other material
•folding unmixed food into the mixed part
•shearing to stretch the material

Power requirement for Mixing

Most of the information that is available concerns the power requirements for the most
commonly used liquid mixer - some form of paddle or propeller stirrer. In these mixers,
the fluids to be mixed are placed in containers and the stirrer is rotated. Measurements
have been made in terms of dimensionless ratios involving all of the physical factors that
influence power consumption.

Reynolds number (ratio of inertial forces to viscous forces

Power number (relating drag forces to inertial forces)

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Froude number (relating inertial forces to those of gravity)

D = the diameter of the propeller,

N = the rotational frequency of the propeller (rev/sec)
ρm = the density of the mixture
μm = the viscosity of the mixture
P = the power consumed by the propeller
K, n and m are factors related to the geometry of the agitator

The Froude number correlates the effects of gravitational forces and it only becomes
significant when the propeller disturbs the liquid surface.

Below Reynolds numbers of about 300, the Froude number is found to have little or no
effect, so that eqn. becomes:

(Po) = K(Re)n

The density of a mixture is found by addition of component densities of the continuous

and dispersed phases:

V the volume fraction. The subscripts 1 and 2 are the continuous phase and dispersed
phase respectively.

The viscosity of a mixture is found using the following equations for baffled mixers and
for unbaffled mixers:

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Changes in power number vs Reynolds number

Example:

Answer:

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Mixing Equipment

• Many forms of mixers have been produced from time to time but over the years a
considerable degree of standardization of mixing equipment has been reached in different
branches of the food industry.

• Possibly the easiest way in which to classify mixers is to divide them according to
whether they mix liquids, dry powders, or thick pastes.

Liquid Mixers
• For the deliberate mixing of liquids, the propeller mixer is probably the most
common and the most satisfactory.
• In using propeller mixers, it is important to avoid regular flow patterns such as an
even swirl round a cylindrical tank, which may accomplish very little mixing.
• To break up these streamline patterns, baffles are often fitted, or the propeller
may be mounted asymmetrically.

Powder and Particle Mixers

• The essential feature in these mixers is to displace parts of the mixture with
respect to other parts.
• The ribbon blender, consists of a trough that rotates a shaft with two open helical
screws attached to it, one screw being right-handed and the other left-handed.

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• As the shaft rotates, sections of the powder move in opposite directions, so

particles are vigorously displaced relative to each other.
• A commonly used blender for powders is the double-cone blender in which two
cones are mounted with their open ends fastened together and they are rotated
about an axis through their common base.

Dough and Paste Mixers

• Dough and pastes are mixed in machines that have, of necessity, to be heavy
and powerful.
• Because of the large power requirements, it is particularly desirable that these
machines mix with reasonable efficiency, as the power is dissipated in the form of
heat, which may cause substantial heating of the product. Such machines may
require jacketing of the mixer to remove as much heat as possible with cooling
water.

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