Chemical Engineering February 2014 - 23

Ekato
Figure 4. Because hydrogenation processes
were traditionally limited by mass
and heat transfer, and because the hydrogen
is difficult to handle and such reactors
must be operated absolutely gastight
at high pressures, Ekato developed
a self-aspirating gassing turbine, which is
specifically applied in such reactions to
overcome the mass-transfer limitation
for these reasons alone, are moving
toward continuous processing
or static mixing where you can mix
inline, in a pipe and get your reactions
and your process to perform
more efficiently. "
Chemineer's UltraTab static
mixer (Figure 2) can provide these
benefits, and more, in turbulent-flow
applications where a high degree
of mixing is required in a compact
space. The integral wall injector upstream
of the mixing element forces
the additive through the high-energy
dissipation region created by
the mixing element, which provides
mixing efficiency. Low-pressure
drop through the UltraTab element
enhances energy efficiency of the
process and saves pump energy.
And, the compact design and short
mixing length reduce needed pipe
lengths and optimize plant layout.
Vertical mixers
A major challenge for operators of
mixing and processing plants, according
to Matthias Boning, sales
director and authorized officer at
Amixon GmbH Mixing Technology
(Paderborn, Germany; www.
amixon.de) is the growing diversity
of recipes at almost constant
production quantities. In this respect,
larger warehouses for raw
materials must be kept. The supply
of components " just in time "
requires sophisticated production
logistics. In addition, a greater variety
of products also results in an
increased necessity of set up and
cleaning efforts, as a high degree of
batch integrity and the absence of
contamination are required.
For this reason, says Boning, it is
important that the mixing apparatus
meets all possible requirements
in terms of process engineering. " It
must achieve a technically perfect
mixing quality in a short time. The
preparation process must be adjustable
to meet changing requirements
and be very gentle when the components
involved in the formulation
are sensitive to abrasion and shear
or provide effective deagglomeration
treatment at high energy
input, if aggregates or agglomerates
should be dissolved, and all
particles should be separated. "
In addition, he says, the mixer
must be able to disperse liquid
substances into powder, no matter
whether the goods are low or high
viscosity, or if the distribution of
the liquid material takes place in a
gentle or intensive deagglomerating
way. Finally, the mixer should be
able to achieve an ideal mixing quality,
regardless of its filling degree.
Amixon's vertical mixers (Figure 3)
meet these requirements, according
to Boning. The vertical cone mixer,
especially, is suitable for mixing dry,
moist and viscous materials at variable
filling levels. The spiral mixing
blade initiates a three-dimensional
flow of the mixing goods, creating
a helical upward movement on the
periphery and downward flow in
the center. The conical mixer guarantees
very good mixing results and
complete discharge. It can be used
for dry powder, wet suspensions and
liquids, pastes and doughs. If the
mixing process requires deagglomeration,
high-speed cutting rotors
can be installed. The mixing device
is driven from the top, using only a
single top bearing. And jacketed and
vacuum-rated versions serve as suitable
mixer-dryers or reactors, providing
further flexibility.
Tailor-made agitation systems
" The chemical industry is under
constant pressure to manufacture
an increasing number of chemical
compounds in shorter and shorter
Circle 15 on p. 60 or go to adlinks.che.com/50973-15
http://www.amixon.de http://adlinks.che.com/50973-15
Chemical Engineering February 2014

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