Whitepapers

Abstract

Originally developed for niche markets, static mixers today serve a broader user base and have become more widespread throughout the process industries. Their high performance, low operating and maintenance cost, durability and continuous operation make them very appealing tools for improving mixing, emulsification, reaction and heat transfer.

For many decades, Ross has supplied static mixers for various installations, from refineries and pipelines to wastewater treatment plants and manufacturing facilities of chemicals, food, plastics, composites, adhesives, pharmaceuticals, ceramics, etc.

The aim of this paper is to provide practical information on the specification and use of Ross Static Mixers. Sample applications and mixer selection tips are also presented.

Introduction

A static mixer or motionless mixer is a device inserted into a housing or pipeline with the objective of manipulating fluid streams to divide, recombine, accelerate/decelerate, spread, swirl or form layers as they pass through the mixer. As a result of these alterations in the fluid flow, mixture components are brought into intimate contact. Static mixers are therefore utilized not only for strictly mixing requirements but also reaction processes. Flow in an empty pipe produces some degree of radial mixing but in most cases, adequate mixing can only be achieved by an impractical length of pipe. Inserting a static mixer significantly accelerates inline mixing or reaction. This technique is essentially desirable wherever a continuous, inexpensive and fast operation is required. Since there are no moving parts in the motionless mixer, it is basically maintenance-free and can be installed as easily as any piece of pipe.

Energy for mixing is available in the form of pressure. Whether material is gravity-fed or forced through the mixer using external pumps, pressure loss is one consequence of static mixing and is sometimes the limiting factor in mixer selection.