MIXING BEHAVIOUR UNDER VARIOUS OPERATING CONDITIONS

BY

AYEOLA OLAJIDE ABDUL-HAFEEZ

15/ENG07/008

CHE 302

A LABORATORY REPORT

SUBMITTED TO THE

DEPARTMENT OF CHEMICAL AND PETROLEUM ENGINEERING

COLLEGE OF ENIGINEERING
AFE BABALOLA UNIVERSITY ADO-EKITI (ABUAD)

DATE PERFORMED 21ST MARCH 2018

DATE OF SUBMISSION: 28TH MARCH 2018

SUPERVISOR;
DR YAHAYA D. BABA
 ABSTRACT

Liquid-liquid mixing is a key process in industries that is commonly accomplished in mechanical

agitation systems. Liquid-liquid mixing performance in a stirred tank can be evaluated by various
parameters, namely minimum agitation speed, mixing time, circulation time, power
consumption, drop size distribution, breakup and coalescence, interfacial area, and phase
inversion. The importance of these liquid-liquid mixing parameters, the measurement method,
and the results are discussed briefly in this laboratory report. Input parameters such as impeller
type, power number, flow pattern, number of impellers, and dispersed phase volume fraction,
in addition to physical properties of phases such as viscosity and density, are reviewed.

Keywords:

Impellers, Liquid-liquid dispersion, Mixing performance, Stirred vessel

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 TABLE OF CONTENTS

ABSTRACT ...........................................................................................................................i
LIST OF FIGURES ............................................................................................................... iii
LIST OF TABLES ................................................................................................................. iv
LIST OF EQUATIONS ...........................................................................................................v
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ................................................................................................... vi
1 INTRODUCTION.............................................................................................................. 7
1.1 MIXING.................................................................................................................... 7
1.2 Mixing classification................................................................................................ 8
1.2.1 LIQUID-LIQUID MIXING.................................................................................... 8
1.2.2 LIQUID SOLID MIXING...................................................................................... 8
1.2.3 LIQUID GAS MIXING......................................................................................... 9
1.3 SPECTROPHOTOMETRY ........................................................................................ 10
2 THEORY ........................................................................................................................ 12
2.1 LABORATORY MIXING ........................................................................................... 12
2.1.1 RATE AND TIME FOR MIXING ........................................................................ 12
2.1.2 MIXING EQUIPMENT ..................................................................................... 13
3 EXPERIMENTAL MATERIALS AND METHOD ................................................................ 14
3.1 APPARATUS USED ................................................................................................. 14
3.1.1 EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE ......................................................................... 16
4 PRESENTATION OF RESULTS/GRAPHICAL ANALYSIS ................................................... 17
4.1 RESULTS ................................................................................................................ 17
5 CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION ..................................................................... 20
5.1 CONCLUSION ........................................................................................................ 20
5.2 RECOMMENDATIONS ........................................................................................... 20
REFERENCES.................................................................................................................... 22

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 LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1: Schematics of an agitated vessel with a Rushton turbine and baffles[1] ......... 7
Figure 2; Basic structure of spectrophotometers[3] ...................................................... 10
Figure 3; Schematic Diagram of A Laboratory Mixer[1] ................................................. 12
Figure 4: Stopwatch ........................................................................................................ 14
Figure 5: A beaker ........................................................................................................... 14
Figure 6; Showing a 50ml burette .................................................................................. 15
Figure 7: Round Bottom flask ......................................................................................... 15
Figure 8: Weighing Scale................................................................................................. 16
Figure 9: Stirrer ............................................................................................................... 16

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 LIST OF TABLES

Table 1:Table showing results obtained from the experiment. ..................................... 18

Table 2: Table Showing Absorbance Value .................................................................... 18

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 LIST OF EQUATIONS

(2-1) ................................................................................................................................ 13
(4-1) ................................................................................................................................ 18
(4-2) ................................................................................................................................ 18
(4-3) ................................................................................................................................ 18
(4-2) ................................................................................................................................ 19
(4-3) ................................................................................................................................ 19

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 LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

N: Speed of Rotation

D Impeller Diameter

G System Geometry

ρ Density of Fluid

μ Viscosity of Fluid

H Vessel Height

T Vessel Diameter

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 1 INTRODUCTION

1.1 MIXING

In industrial process engineering, mixing is a unit operation that involves manipulation of

a heterogeneous physical system with the intent to make it more homogeneous. Familiar
examples include pumping of the water in a swimming pool to homogenize the water
temperature, and the stirring of pancake batter to eliminate lumps (deagglomeration). Mixing
is performed to allow heat and/or mass transfer to occur between one or more streams,
components or phases. Modern industrial processing almost always involves some form of
mixing.[1] Some classes of chemical reactors are also mixers. With the right equipment, it is
possible to mix a solid, liquid or gas into another solid, liquid or gas. A biofuel fermenter may
require the mixing of microbes, gases and liquid medium for optimal yield; organic nitration
requires concentrated (liquid) nitric and sulfuric acids to be mixed with a hydrophobic organic
phase; production of pharmaceutical tablets requires blending of solid powders. The opposite
of mixing is segregation. A classical example of segregation is the brazil nut effect.[1]

Mixing is a key and common process to improve homogeneity and uniformity of systems.

Figure 1: Schematics of an agitated vessel with a Rushton turbine and baffles[1]

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1.2 Mixing classification

The type of operation and equipment used during mixing depends on the state of materials
being mixed (liquid, semi-solid, or solid) and the miscibility of the materials being processed. In
this context, the act of mixing may be synonymous with stirring-, or kneading-processes.[2]

1.2.1 LIQUID-LIQUID MIXING

Mixing of liquids occurs frequently in process engineering. The nature of liquids to blend
determines the equipment used. Single-phase blending tends to involve low-shear, high-flow
mixers to cause liquid engulfment, while multi-phase mixing generally requires the use of high-
shear, low-flow mixers to create droplets of one liquid in laminar, turbulent or transitional flow
regimes, depending on the Reynolds number of the flow. Turbulent or transitional mixing is
frequently conducted with turbines or impellers; laminar mixing is conducted with helical ribbon
or anchor mixers.

Mixing of liquids that are miscible or at least soluble in each other occurs frequently in process
engineering (and in everyday life). An everyday example would be the addition of milk or cream
to tea or coffee. Since both liquids are water-based, they dissolve easily in one another. The
momentum of the liquid being added is sometimes enough to cause enough turbulence to mix
the two, since the viscosity of both liquids is relatively low. If necessary, a spoon or paddle could
be used to complete the mixing process. Blending in a more viscous liquid, such as honey,
requires more mixing power per unit volume to achieve the same homogeneity in the same
amount of time.

1.2.2 LIQUID SOLID MIXING

Liquid–solid mixing is typically done to suspend coarse free-flowing solids, or to break up lumps
of fine agglomerated solids. An example of the former is the mixing granulated sugar into water;
an example of the latter is the mixing of flour or powdered milk into water. In the first case, the
particles can be lifted into suspension (and separated from one another) by bulk motion of the
fluid; in the second, the mixer itself (or the high shear field near it) must destabilize the lumps
and cause them to disintegrate.

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One example of a solid–liquid mixing process in industry is concrete mixing, where cement, sand,
small stones or gravel and water are commingled to a homogeneous self-hardening mass, used
in the construction industry.[3]

1.2.2.1 SOLID SUSPENSION

Suspension of solids into a liquid is done to improve the rate of mass transfer between the solid
and the liquid. Examples include dissolving a solid reactant into a solvent, or suspending catalyst
particles in liquid to improve the flow of reactants and products to and from the particles. The
associated eddy diffusion increases the rate of mass transfer within the bulk of the fluid, and the
convection of material away from the particles decreases the size of the boundary layer, where
most of the resistance to mass transfer occurs. Axial-flow impellers are preferred for solid
suspension, although radial-flow impellers can be used in a tank with baffles, which converts
some of the rotational motion into vertical motion. When the solid is denser than the liquid (and
therefore collects at the bottom of the tank), the impeller is rotated so that the fluid is pushed
downwards; when the solid is less dense than the liquid (and therefore floats on top), the
impeller is rotated so that the fluid is pushed upwards (though this is relatively rare). The
equipment preferred for solid suspension produces large volumetric flows but not necessarily
high shear; high flow-number turbine impellers, such as hydrofoils, are typically used. Multiple
turbines mounted on the same shaft can reduce power draw.

1.2.3 LIQUID GAS MIXING

Liquids and gases are typically mixed w mass transfer to occur. For instance, in the case of air
stripping, gas is used to remove volatiles from a liquid. When a tank and impeller are used, the
objective is typically to ensure that the gas bubbles remain in contact with the liquid for as long
as possible. This is especially important if the gas is expensive, such as pure oxygen, or diffuses
slowly into the liquid. Mixing in a tank is also useful when a (relatively) slow chemical reaction is
occurring in the liquid phase, and so the concentration difference in the thin layer near the
bubble is close to that of the bulk. This reduces the driving force for mass transfer. If there is a
(relatively) fast chemical reaction in the liquid phase, it is sometimes advantageous to disperse
but not recirculate the gas bubbles, ensuring that they are in plug flow and can transfer mass
more efficiently.

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Rushton turbines have been traditionally used do disperse gases into liquids, but newer options,
such as the Smith turbine and Bakker turbine are becoming more prevalent. One of the issues is
that as the gas flow increases, more and more of the gas accumulates in the low pressure zones
behind the impeller blades, which reduces the power drawn by the mixer (and therefore its
effectiveness). Newer designs, such as the GDX impeller, have nearly eliminated this problem.[4]

1.3 SPECTROPHOTOMETRY

Spectrophotometry is a method to measure how much a chemical substance absorbs light by

Figure 2; Basic structure of spectrophotometers[3]

measuring the intensity of light as a beam of light passes through sample solution. The basic
principle is that each compound absorbs or transmits light over a certain range of wavelength.
This measurement can also be used to measure the amount of a known chemical substance.
Spectrophotometry is one of the most useful methods of quantitative analysis in various fields
such as chemistry, physics, biochemistry, material and chemical engineering and clinical
applications.[5]

Figure 2 illustrates the basic structure of spectrophotometers. It consists of a light source, a

collimator, a monochromator, a wavelength selector, a cuvette for sample solution, a
photoelectric detector, and a digital display or a meter.A spectrophotometer, in general,
consists of two devices; a spectrometer and a photometer. A spectrometer is a device that
produces, typically disperses and measures light. A photometer indicates the photoelectric
detector that measures the intensity of light.

 Spectrometer: It produces a desired range of wavelength of light. First a collimator (lens)

transmits a straight beam of light (photons) that passes through a monochromator
(prism) to split it into several component wavelengths (spectrum). Then a wavelength
selector (slit) transmits only the desired wavelengths, as shown in Figure 2

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 Photometer: After the desired range of wavelength of light passes through the solution
of a sample in cuvette, the photometer detects the amount of photons that is absorbed
and then sends a signal to a galvanometer or a digital display, as illustrated in Figure 2.

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 2 THEORY

2.1 LABORATORY MIXING

At a laboratory scale, mixing is achieved by magnetic stirrers or by simple hand-shaking.

Sometimes mixing in laboratory vessels is more thorough and occurs faster than is possible
industrially. Magnetic stir bars are radial-flow mixers that induce solid body rotation in the fluid
being mixed. This is acceptable on a small scale, since the vessels are small and mixing therefore
occurs rapidly (short blend time). A variety of stir bar configurations exist, but because of the
small size and (typically) low viscosity of the fluid, it is possible to use one configuration for
nearly all mixing tasks. The cylindrical stir bar can be used for suspension of solids, as seen
in iodometry, deagglomeration (useful for preparation of microbiology growth medium from
powders), and liquid–liquid blending. Another peculiarity of laboratory mixing is that the mixer
rests on the bottom of the vessel instead of being suspended near the center. Furthermore, the
vessels used for laboratory mixing are typically more widely varied than those used for industrial
mixing; for instance, Erlenmeyer flasks, or Florence flasks may be used in addition to the more
cylindrical beaker.

Figure 3; Schematic Diagram of A Laboratory Mixer[1]

2.1.1 RATE AND TIME FOR MIXING

Mixing time is the time required for producing a mixture or a product of predetermined quality,
and the rate of mixing is the rate at which the mixing progresses towards the final state.

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For a single phase liquid in a stirred tank to which a volume of tracer materials is added, the
mixing time is measured from the instant the tracer is added to the time when the contents of
the vessel have reached the required degree contents of uniformity.

The mixing time will depend upon the following:

i. System Geometry
ii. Impeller Diameter, D.
iii. Speed of Rotation
iv. Properties of Liquids

Mathematically, it can be written as;

t = f(N, D, g, ρ, μ, System Geometry) (2-1)

2.1.2 MIXING EQUIPMENT

In designing mixing equipment, there are many factors that must be considered to obtain
desired process results, among these factors are vessel size and vessel shape.

Vessels are typically cylindrical in shape defined by H/T ration where

H- vessel height

T – Vessel Diameter

The base of vessel may be flat, dished, conical or specially contoured depending on factors such
as ease of emptying, or the need to suspend solids.

2.1.2.1 BAFFLES

Baffles are used to prevent cross vortexing, which is detrimental to mixing, particularly in low
viscosity systems. The baffles are mounted flush with the wall and these take the form of thin
about one tenth of the tank diameter in width, and typically four qui-spaced baffles may be
used.

2.1.2.2 IMPELLER

There are many types of impellers: Propellers, Turbines, paddles, anchors, helical ribbons and
screws which are usually mounted on a central vertical shaft in a cylindrical tank, and they are
selected for a particular duty largely on the basis of liquid viscosity.

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 3 EXPERIMENTAL MATERIALS AND METHOD

3.1 APPARATUS USED

i. Stopwatch
It is a handheld timepiece designed to measure the amount of time elapsed from
a particular time when it is activated to the time when the piece is deactivated. The
second button is also used to record split times or lap times.

Figure 4: Stopwatch[6]

ii. Beaker;

This is used for precise dilutions and accurately prepare 600ml of a solution.

Figure 5: A beaker[6]

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 iii. Burette:

This is used for dispensing a variable amount of chemical solution and measuring that amount
at the same time.50ml burette have the highest resolution i.e. maximum precision we can get
from volume measurement.[6]

Figure 6; Showing a 50ml burette[6]

iv. Round Bottom Flask:

This is used for precise dilutions and accurately prepare 100ml of a solution.

Figure 7: Round Bottom flask[6]

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 v. Weighing Scale: This is used to weigh the amount of substance in a vessel.

Figure 8: Weighing Scale[6]

vi. Stirrer

This is used to stir fluids at different RPM.

Figure 9: Stirrer

3.1.1 EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE

1) The beaker was filled with water.

2) A dye was injected at the top of the beaker

3) The sample was taken from time to time and its concentration was found by a
spectrophotometer.

4) The mixer was operated under laminar flow.

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5) How the mixing was carried out was observed and how long it took to mix was evaluated.

6) A graph of mixing time vs time at low speed and high speed was plotted.

7) A graph of mixing time vs time at different impeller position was plotted.

8) The power consumption in each case was calculated.

4 PRESENTATION OF RESULTS/GRAPHICAL ANALYSIS

4.1 RESULTS

S/N IMPELLER SPEED(RPM) ABSORBANCE MIXING CONCENTRAT

HEIGHT(CM) OF DYE TIME(S) ION

1 1/3 183 0.65 10 0.114

1.53 20 0.269

1.50 30 0.264

2 183 1.12 10 0.197

1.156 20 0.203

1.291 30 0.227

3 1/2 270 1.35 10 0.238

1.53 20 0.269

1.44 30 0.253

4 800 1.63 10 0.287

1.61 20 0.283

1.52 30 0.267

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 5 3/4 183 1.00 10 0.176

1.13 20 0.199

1.15 30 0.202

Table 1:Table showing results obtained from the experiment.

VOLUME OF DYE (ml) VOLUME OF WATER (ml) ABSORBANCE

20 80 1.573

30 70 2.051

40 60 2.124

50 50 2.135

Table 2: Table Showing Absorbance Value

𝐶𝑜𝑛𝑐𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛, 𝐶 = 𝐴𝐿𝑒 (4-1)

𝐿𝑒𝑛𝑔𝑡ℎ 𝑜𝑓 𝑐𝑢𝑣𝑒𝑡𝑡𝑒, 𝐿 = 1.0𝑐𝑚 (4-2)

𝑆𝑙𝑜𝑝𝑒, 𝑒 = 0.1759 (4-3)

Where A= Absorbance, L= Length of cuvette and e= Slope of absorbance against concentration

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 Graph to show absorbance against
concentation
2.5
2
Absorbance

1.5
1
0.5
0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6

Concentration

Figure 4-1: Graph to show absorbance against concentration

𝑠𝑙𝑜𝑝𝑒, 𝑒 = 0.1759 (4-4)

𝐿𝑒𝑛𝑔𝑡ℎ 𝑜𝑓 𝑐𝑢𝑣𝑒𝑡𝑡𝑒, 𝐿 = 1.0𝑐𝑚 (4-5)

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 5 CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION

5.1 CONCLUSION

Following the successful completion of the experiment we were able to further lend
credence to the fact the time constant for a thermometer is determined by exposing it
to a step change.

Although there was variation in values of the experimental values compared to the
theoretical values. Nevertheless, the Experiment was carried out scrupulously to ensure
accurate results though the values still varied which may be due to factors beyond our
control.

In view of the above, we can proudly say this experiment was a success as the set out
objectives were achieved.

In conclusion, we round off based on these propositions as justified by the experiment;

1. Mixing is certain to be poor unless flow in the tank is turbulent.

2. Mixing time is a useful parameter for assessing mixing efficiency.
3. For a given stirred speed, the power required depends on the resistance offered by
the fluid to rotation of the impeller.
4. Mixing is facilitated when circulation currents below the impeller are smaller than
those above.
.

5.2 RECOMMENDATIONS

During the course of the experiment, we took notes of some things which may have
hindered getting the most accurate results for the Experiment. In view of this, I write to
propose some recommendations which should be considered during the course of
subsequent experiments and they are as follows;
i. For efficient mixing the impeller should be mounted below the geometric center
of the vessel
ii. Provisions should be made for the availability of more of the devices used to
ensure full participation of all students.

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iii. Proper Precautionary measures should be put into place so as to minimize the
risk of getting into an accident.
iv. The apparatus should be returned to their various places when upon completion
of the experiment

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 REFERENCES

[1] the free encyclopedia Wikipedia, “Mixing (process engineering),” 2017. [Online].
Available: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mixing_(process_engineering)#Laboratory_mixing.
[Accessed: 23-Mar-2018].

[2] F. Ullman, Chemical Engineering and Plant Design, Volumes 1–2. John Wiley & Sons. John
Wiley and Sons, 2005.

[3] S. C. E. R. and D. Hiraoka(, “Power Consumption and Mixing Time in an Agitated Vessel
with Double Impeller.” [Online]. Available:
www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0263876201721168. [Accessed: 26-Mar-
2018].

[4] M. E. D. and R. J. Davis, Fundamentals of Chemical Reaction Engineering. 2003.

[5] Libretexts, “SPECTROPHOTOMETRY,” 2017. [Online]. Available:

chem.libretexts.org/Core/Physical_and_Theoretical_Chemistry/Kinetics/Reaction_Rate
s/Experimental_Determination_of_Kinetcs/Spectrophotometry.

[6] K. Website, “Laboratory Equipment Supplies,” 2017. [Online]. Available:

http://www.labequip.co.za/pg/76460/environmental-engineering. [Accessed: 13-Feb-
2018].

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