Part B Mixing of Particulate Solids in the Process Industries

Part B Mixing of Particulate Solids in the Process Industries 

Konanur Manjunath, Shrikant Dhodapkar, and Karl Jacob 15-7 INTRODUCTION 

Mixing can also be done in combination with other unit operations, such as agglomeration, size reduction, particle coating, and chemical reaction, to name a few. Often, selection of an appropriate unit operation (e.g., grinding, agglomeration) can reduce the cost of the process by combining two unit operations. 

Selection of an appropriate mixer begins with an understanding of process requirements (e.g., quantity of bulk solids to be mixed, desired degree of mixedness, the need for batch integrity, upstream/downstream process) and material properties (e.g., particle size distribution, cohesiveness, particle shape, abrasiveness). The final analysis must then combine these factors with the operating and purchase cost to arrive at an engineering decision. 

A myriad of different mixing tasks are performed in the process industries today. Some common tasks are  

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