Vibrational mixing of highly dispersed powders

Abstract

Highly dispersed powders having a well developed interphase surface belong to the class of difficult-to-mix free-flowing materials. Different types of mixers are being used for mixing them [i]. However, most of them fail to ensure a high degree of homogeneity (uniformity) during the mixing process because of the difficulties in attaining the maximum possible (limiting) destruction of the structure of the material. In view of this, effective realization of the mass transfer processes becomes impossible under the conditions of continuous movement (displacement/shear) since the structure of the material is not fragmented into individual particles and discontinuous localized layers of the dispersed systems (zones) or blocks (particle aggregates) form [2]. Complete and uniform distribution of various phases in the macro and micro-volumes of the system (i.e., attainment of the limiting homogeneity) is possible only when the maximum possible (limiting) destruction of the structure of the entire dispersed system and all the particle aggregates of the solid phase occurs and their complete separation is ensured.