Polymer Melt Mixing in Static Mixers

Abstract

Static mixers are typical machinery used in process industries. Static mixers have less moving parts, less energy consumption and reduced maintenance requirements. In polymer industries, the static mixers are used for preheating of polymers, mixing of polymer additives, thermal homogenization and fiber spinning. Analysis of pressure drop, velocity gradient and distribution of particles during mixing in static mixer is a complex task. Several methods were proposed to investigate the performance of static mixers. Computational fluid dynamics has recently become an essential tool for understanding static mixer performance. This article reviews the mapping method and simulation studies using computational fluid dynamics to assess the mixing performance of static mixers. The new developments in the mixing devices of screw extruders are also presented.