Designing Solids Mixing Processes

Abstract

An essential prerequisite for the efficient design of a mixing process is a clear, exact and comprehensive formulation of the task and objective. Applying Table 10.1 as a check list guarantees a systematic formulation of themixing task along with the major formative conditions. Priority objectives covering the economic requirements, quality targets and operating conditions have to be met when engineering a mixing system. Besides a definition of the stipulated quality of the mix and an average production throughput (minimum or maximum) the quality target can also include additional physical (moisture, grain size, temperature) and chemical properties which the mixed product is to have. Furthermore, the general principles of quality assurance frequently demand production documentation. This means that material batches must be coded, mixture recipes recorded and the flow of materials in and out balanced out against their inventories and consumption.