Static mixers can effectively and efficiently accomplish a number of process objectives.  Which increases the opportunities to apply them for process intensification.  Mixing is a common operation in the chemical process industries.  Improving mixing can allow a manufacturer to reduce unwanted byproducts, allow the use of smaller equipment, and reduce energy requirements.  Over the years, they have created many designs to provide enhanced performance in a widening array of applications, such that static mixers should be routinely considered for process intensification of mixing-sensitive operations.

How Static Mixers Work

The most common mixing machine is the agitated tank, which is a perfect choice for a diverse array of process objectives.  These diverse mixers use rotating impellers to produce flow in the material for mixing.

On the other hand, static mixers consist of stationary elements that are placed in a conduit to obstruct and direct the flow that is driven.  These stationary elements generate motion in the flowing fluid that is a function of element design and varies according to flow regime and process objectives.

The static mixer provides an energy-efficient solution in the process by effectively mixing process fluids to produce a homogenous mixture.

When Should You Choose a Static Mixer?

Tank-mounted agitators are in batch and semi-batch processes, while they generally use static mixers in a continuous process.  We can realize the advantages of static mixers in batch processing.  By connecting a static mixer pump around the loop to an agitated vessel.

While stirred tanks aren’t a bad option, static mixers are a better choice.  The large volumes of stirred tanks usually provide residence times on the order of hours, days, or even weeks.  On the other hand, because most conduits have much smaller volumes, they have residence times on the order of seconds or minutes.  Making static mixers an especially excellent alternative to stirred tanks.

A large stirred tank takes minutes in the blending of materials, thus making it difficult to achieve good performance when rapid mixing is a requirement.  In these applications, static mixers can achieve rapid blending in seconds.

Stirred tanks have a wide range of residence times and the tanks are subject to the possibility of material bypassing.  The more-intense mixing in the impeller region or of material being trapped in sluggish or stagnant zones.  These provide narrower residence time distributions that can create more uniform product properties while also limiting the possibility of bypassing and stagnancy.

Customized Options

There are several customizations options so that the static mixer will fit the application.

• Materials – The materials of construction are plastics: PVC, CVPC, Clear PVC; Fiberglass or FRO; Steel/Metal Alloy: Stainless steel, Carbon steel, Kynar-Teflon lined and Alloys.
• End Connections – The end connections can be Flanged ends, Threaded ends, Plain ends or DIN ends.
• Types of Static Mixers – Based on the application needs there are several types of mixers. These include Channel Static Mixer, Custody Transfer, Fiber Glass, Lined, Non-clogging, Sanitary Static Mixer, and Wafer Mixer.