Cumulative effect of particle properties on mixing of multi-component mixture in a vibrated packed bed

Abstract

The effect of particle properties that include shape, size, and density in a vibrated packed bed mixer for binary and ternary mixtures is investigated and mixing is characterized using subdomain mixing index. The mixing behavior can be divided into two different regimes based on the dominant segregation mechanism which is dependent on the theoretically calculated value of the segregation parameter ( Z ). The two different regimes are the percolation and buoyancy control regime. The Z value combines the effect of various physical properties of the particle. The subdomain mixing index value is strongly correlated to the segregation parameter. The results indicate that in a binary mixture decreasing the coarse particle’s density reduces the mixing while decreasing the fine particle’s density enhances the mixing. The extent of segregation behavior for nonspherical particles show shape-induced segregation is not a dominant factor but nonspherical particles show better mixing than spherical particles. • A correlation is developed that can predict dominant segregation mechanisms. • Particle shape-induced segregation is an important secondary factor. • Nonspherical particles show better mixing than spherical particles. • Adding a component to the binary mixture does not always improve mixing. • In a ternary mixture, decreasing the intermediate particles' density reduces mixing.