MIXING OF LIQUIDS

SECTION - II
• Liquid – liquid mixing is considered as a simple operation
compared to that of solid-liquid mixing , involves the
formation of homogeneous system by the application of
shear.
 IS AGITATION & MIXING THE SAME ?

• Agitation – induced motion of a material in a specified way , usually in a circulatory pattern

inside a container.

• Mixing- random distribution into or through one another of two or more separate phases.
 LIQUID MIXTURES CLASSIFIED AS

1. Miscible liquids – ethyl alcohol & water

2. Partially miscible - miscible in one another at one particular proportion , depends upon
temperature & pressure.
P-cresol & water

3. Immiscible liquids – not miscible , vegetable oils & water

 MECHANISMS OF LIQUID MIXING

• BULK TRANSPORT
• TURBULENT MIXING
• LAMINAR MIXING
• MOLECULAR DIFFUSION
 BULK TRANSPORT

• Movement of a large portion of material from one location to another location in a given system.
• It causes rearrangement of various portions in the system
 TURBULENT MIXING

• Highly effective mechanism for mixing

• Defined as mixing due to turbulent flow , which results in random fluctuation of the fluid
velocity at any given point within the system.
• In turbulent flow , fluid velocity at a given point fluctuates continuously in three directions
x,y&z (liquid moves in one direction depending on the dominant component)
 EDDY

• Turbulent flow has large number of different size eddies

• An eddy is defined as a portion of fluid moving as a unit in a direction
• Large eddies break up forming eddies of smaller size , until they are no longer distinguishable
 LAMINAR MIXING

• It is associated with high viscosity liquids.

• Laminar mixing is the mixing of two dissimilar liquids through laminar flow, applied shear
stretches the interface between them
• In this mechanism layers fold back upon themselves , number of layers increases and hence
interfacial area between them also increases exponentially with time.
• Laminar mixing may also result in simple stretching of the fluid layers without any significant
folding action.
 MOLECULAR DIFFUSION

• Laminar and turbulent mixing cause increase in contact areas between the components .But for
complete intermingling of the components into each other, molecular diffusion is the mechanism
responsible.
• Molecular diffusion is the mixing at molecular level in which molecules diffuse due to thermal
motion.
MIXING VESSEL
• Mixing apparatus consist of a container & a mixing device.
• Mixing device is called impeller , which is mounted with the help of a shaft , the shaft is driven
by a motor.
• The tank is made up of stainless steel
• Top of the tank may be closed or open
• Tank bottom is rounded to eliminate sharp corners or regions into which fluid would penetrate.
• Carries outlet , coils, jackets,temperature measuring device
 LIQUID MIXING DEVICES

• Mixing devices are used to supply energy to the system so long as to bring about reasonably
rapid mixing.
• Flow currents are responsible for transporting unmixed materials to the mixing zone.
• Mixing devices are technically called as impellers.
• Impellers are classified on the basis of the shape and pitch of the blades that are attached to the
central shaft.
 PITCH

• In pitched blade turbine the blades are set at some angle to the horizontal centerline of the
impeller.
• Generally the angle is 45º
• These produce axial flow and are suitable for suspension of solids.
• Pitched blade turbine reduces power requirements
• Power consumption of a 45º pitched turbine is half that of flat blade turbine.
 PROPELLERS

• Propeller normally contains a number of blades.

• Propellers may be either right or left handed , depending on the direction of slant of their blades.
• In a deep tank , push pull propeller are used in which two or more propellers may be attached to
the same shaft , work in opposite direction to create a zone of turbulence.
• Propeller produces axial (longitudinal) movement of the liquid.
• The flow currents leaving the propeller continue through the liquid in a given direction until
deflected by the floor or wall of the tank.
 USES

• Propellers are used when high mixing capacity is needed.

• Effective in handling liquids having a maximum viscosity of about 2.0 pascal.sec
• Multivitamin elixir ,disinfectant solutions are manufactured using propellers.
• Disadvantage – not normally effective with liquids of viscosity greater than 5 pascal.sec
• Eg – glycerin,castor oil etc…
 TURBINES

• A turbine consist of a circular disc to which a number of short blades are attached.
• Diameter of the turbine ranges from 30-50 % of the diameter of the vessel
• Rotates at a lower speed than propeller (50-200 revol per min)
• Blades may be straight, curved, pitched or vertical
• Flat bedded turbines produce radial & tangential flow, but as speed increases , radial flow
dominates
• A pitched blade turbine produces axial flow
• The shear produced by turbines can be further enhanced using a diffuser ring
• A diffuser ring is a stationary perforated or slotted ring, which surrounds the turbine .
• It increases shear forces.
• The liquid passes the perforations reducing rotational swirling and vortexing.
 USES

• Effective for high viscous solutions with wide range of viscosities upto 700 pascal .Seconds
• Eg – syrup,liquid paraffin
• Advantages – turbines give greater shearing force than propellers, though the pumping rate is
less.
 PADDLES

• Paddle consists of a hub centrally with two long flat blades attached to it vertically.
• The blades are hemispherical in shape
• Paddles pass close to the tank walls and effectively mix viscous liquids , avoiding dead spots and
deposited solids
 USES

• Used in the manufacture of antacid suspensions , agar and pectin related purgatives ,
antidiarrheal mixture such as bismuth-kaolin.
• Advantage – vortex formation is not possible with paddle impellers because of low speed mixing
• Disadvantage – mixing of the suspension is poor , therefore baffled tanks are required.
 FLOW PATTERN DURING MIXING

• Mixing takes place due to the resultant effect of three components acting on the liquid .
• These are
 Radial component
 Longitudinal component
 Tangential component
 TANGENTIAL COMPONENT OR CIRCULAR
• It acts in a direction tangent to the circle of rotation around the impeller shaft
• If shaft is placed vertically and centrally , tangential flow follows a circular path around the shaft
and creates a vortex in the liquid.
 RADIAL COMPONENT
• ACT IN A DIRECTION VERTICAL TO THE IMPELLER SHAFT.
 AXIAL COMPONENT OR LONGITUDINAL OR
VERTICAL
• Acts in a direction parallel to the impeller shaft
 VORTEX FORMATION

• Shaft is mounted vertically in the center of the tank

• Blades in the turbines are arranged perpendicular to the central shaft
• At high impeller speeds
• In unbaffled tanks
 VORTEX

• A mass of air or water that spins around very fast and pulls objects into its empty centre
 DISADVANTAGES

• Vortex formation reduces the mixing intensity by reducing the velocity of the impeller relative to
the fluid.
• Vortex reaches the impeller air is drawn from the surface of the liquid
• These air bubbles are difficult to remove
• The entrapped air may cause oxidation of substance
 PREVENTION OF VORTEX FORMATION

• Impeller should be mounted in any one of the positions to avoid symmetry , it should be deep in
the liquid
• Baffled containers should be used , in such case impeller can be mounted vertically at the corner.
• Two or more impellers mounted on the same shaft in a tank where greater depth is desired (Push-
pull mechanism)
 RETURN FLOW WITH DRAFT TUBES
• DRAFT TUBES ARE PLACED TO CONTROL THE DIRECTION AND VELOCITY OF THE
FLOW TO THE IMPELLER.
• MOUNTED AROUND THE PROPELLER
 FACTORS INFLUENCING MIXING OF LIQUIDS
IN TANKS
• MATERIAL RELATED FACTORS
 Properties of liquids : Physical properties of the materials to be mixed
density, viscosity and miscibility
• EQUIPMENT RELATED FACTORS
 SHAPE OF THE IMPELLER : Propeller type ,straight ,vertical ,curved or pitched
 POSITION OF THE IMPELLER : Central , off-center , side entry , vertical or inclined
 SHAPE AND SIZE OF THE CONTAINER : Cylindrical or other geometric forms
Presence or absence of baffles
 COST OF EQUIPMENT AND ITS MAINTENANCE
• PROCESS RELATED FACTORS
o Speed of rotation of the impeller
o Time required for mixing
o Amount of power that can be expended
o Ease of operation
o Batch size
 AIRJET MIXER

• PRINCIPLE
• Compressed air jets are passed from the bottom of a vessel air bubbles are formed in the liquid
phase.
• Bubbles lift the liquids to the central portion due to the presence of draft tubes
• Liquid flow down from the periphery of the vessel & enter the bottom due to suction effect
• USES
• LIQUIDS OF LOW VISCOSITY
• NON-FOAMING
• NON-REACTIVE WITH GAS ARE MIXED BY USING AIRJET MIXER
 JET MIXER

• PRINCIPLE
• Liquids to be mixed are pumped separately into a jet mixer at different velocities
• High velocity liquid has a lower static pressure than surrounding liquid
• During mixing the slow moving liquid will drawn into the high velocity jet
• Increases the volume of jet and decreases velocity , which causes the jet to expand
• Thus shear developed and aids in mixing
• WORKING
• Two liquids are introduced into the mixing tank at different velocities.
• One liquid pumped through a small nozzle at uniform high velocity.
• Second liquid enters the tank at low velocity
• Fast moving liquid impinges the slow moving liquid at high velocity
• As the jet moves away from orifice the area of its influence decreases
• The core of the jet is surrounded by an expanding turbulent jet , in which the radial velocity decreases
with distance from the centre line of the jet.
• MIXING INDUCED IN TWO WAYS
• The stresses tear off portions of fast moving stream and send it off into the slower moving areas
as vortexes or eddies. The shear stresses tear off eddies and generate considerable turbulence ,
which contribute to the mixing action.
• When a slow moving liquid enters the jet , the volume of jet increases and velocity decreases.
This decreasing velocity causes the jet to expand , shear develops which aids in mixing
MIXING OF IMMISCIBLE LIQUIDS